Palace media office chief slams ‘demolition job’
- PCO Secretary Jay Ruiz labeled reports claiming that he was the owner or cofounder of Digital 8 Inc. as “fake news” and expressed disappointment with Politiko, an online news website, for not getting his side of the story.
- He said a possible motive for the “demolition job” against him might be the resistance to his efforts to implement staffing and policy changes in the PCO. “Can you imagine? P206 million, you will be accused of that without being given a chance to air your side, without them calling you up? I am the PCO secretary, I am just here,” Ruiz said. “I hope you would get my side, because the greater the accusation, the greater the fact-checking.”
- He then named Politiko’s cofounders—Gil Cabacungan Jr. and Rey Marfil— whom he worked with when they were reporters for different media organizations in the past. Cabacungan is a former Inquirer reporter while Marfil is a former Abante reporter who later served as communications undersecretary during the Benigno Aquino III administration.
Acting Secretary Jay Ruiz of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Tuesday slammed reports alleging that he benefited from the P206.05 million worth of government contracts of a media company as a “demolition job.”
In his first press briefing as Malacañang’s chief communicator, Ruiz labeled reports claiming that he was the owner or cofounder of Digital 8 Inc. as “fake news” and expressed disappointment with Politiko, an online news website, for not getting his side of the story.
“I’m just curious that at a time when I’m initiating reforms and changes, on my eighth day, a story like this comes out. Is this a demolition job? Is this fake news? What’s the reason?” the former ABS-CBN reporter asked.
He said a possible motive for the “demolition job” against him might be the resistance to his efforts to implement staffing and policy changes in the PCO.
Ruiz said he initially did not want to “dignify” the Politiko story posted on Monday entitled, “Parang tumama sa lotto! Jay Ruiz’s company bags P206M contracts from PCSO,” or the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
Not asked to give side
The article said Ruiz co-founded Digital 8 with former ABS-CBN reporter and ex-People’s Television Network Inc. (PTV 4) general manager Ana Puod, and that the media company won a P178.5-million contract from the PCSO in October 2024 and another P27.55-million deal in December.
“I really didn’t want to pay attention to it. I thought maybe no one would pick it up. But I was surprised when it came out in the others. I am not blaming anyone here, but I hope you will do your research. I hope you would get my side, because the greater the accusation, the greater the fact-checking. And make sure that you ask the person that’s being accused,” he said.
Ruiz said he initially thought of filing legal action “against these purveyors of fake news,” referring to Politiko, but decided against it as it would only distract him from his job at the PCO.
Asked if he will ask Politiko to issue a public apology, Ruiz said it was up to the online news website.
He said Politiko, at the very least, should rectify its news article to include his side so that it would be “fair and balanced.”
Serious allegation
He said the insinuation that he benefited from Digital 8’s contracts from the government—like winning the lotto—was a grave accusation.
He added that the insinuation that he benefited from the contracts also placed his family’s security at risk, citing recent kidnappings.
“My children don’t have bodyguards, then you will say I earned P206 million from this even if there’s none. So we will be the target of criminals now,” Ruiz said, adding that he tried calling up Politiko’s cofounders but they did not answer his calls.
He said he already requested a security detail for himself and his family because of the “fake news that turned out of hand,” adding that even Senate President Francis Escudero was fed “wrong information.”
He also said that he was already divesting his interests in his other businesses—a political management firm, two restaurants in Quezon City, an art gallery and a leasing firm—to ensure that there would be no conflict of interest between his businesses and his new job as PCO head.
Former colleagues
Ruiz said it was ironic that he vowed to fight fake news as PCO acting secretary, only to be victimized by fake news himself.
“Can you imagine? P206 million, you will be accused of that without being given a chance to air your side, without them calling you up? I am the PCO secretary, I am just here,” an emotional Ruiz said.
He then named Politiko’s cofounders—Gil Cabacungan Jr. and Rey Marfil— whom he worked with when they were reporters for different media organizations in the past. Cabacungan is a former Inquirer reporter while Marfil is a former Abante reporter who later served as communications undersecretary during the Benigno Aquino III administration.
“The one who wrote this article, or the owners—I know them. Former Undersecretary Rey Marfil, I met him in the Senate. I also know Gil Cabacungan, we were together at the House. In journalism, it’s basic that you get both sides, right? If you don’t get the other side, is that balanced? No, right? You only listened to one side,” Ruiz noted.
Cabacungan and Marfil declined to issue a statement when sought by the Inquirer for comment on Tuesday.
Ruiz reiterated the PCO’s statement the day before that he did not own shares or stocks in Digital 8, which also owns D8TV, a free-to-air digital television channel that began airing in November 2024.
Ruiz said he was only the company’s authorized representative in its joint venture with Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp. (IBC 13), which bagged the P178.5-million contract with the PCSO for the broadcast production and television transmission of lotto draws, games and programs.
Contracts
Documents obtained by the Inquirer showed that the notice of award for the P 178.5-million contract was addressed to IBC 13 president Jose Policarpio Jr. and Ruiz as authorized representative of Digital 8.
In the second contract, the notice of award dated Dec. 20 was addressed to Digital 8 president Rommel Miranda, a former police official and spokesperson for the National Capital Region Police Office, who was linked to the 2012 abduction and murder of a Chinese-Filipino businesswoman. Miranda has denied involvement in the crime.
“On Jan. 17, because I was working on my other businesses, I resigned from the company. I never owned a single share of Digital 8; that’s very clear,” Ruiz added.
Based on its 2024 general information statement submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and seen by the Inquirer on Tuesday, Ruiz was not listed among the shareholders of Digital 8, which has been incurring losses since 2022.
Unprofitable firm
The majority shareholder of Digital 8 is Miranda, who serves as president and holds an 84-percent stake in the company.
Rouelle B. Miranda (treasurer), Clara Therese B. Miranda (corporate secretary), Bea Louise B. Miranda and Christian V. Puod each own 4 percent, the document showed.
Meanwhile, Puod’s relation to the former PTV 4 general manager was unclear.
The SEC website likewise tagged Digital 8 as a “delinquent” company, which means that it fell behind several times in filing reportorial requirements.
Digital 8 has likewise been operating at a net loss due to high operating expenses.
Its 2023 annual financial statement sent to the Inquirer showed that it trimmed its net loss to P347,118 from P643,108 the previous year.
Revenues stood at P168,135, while operating expenses totaled P512,731, down by 6.3 percent. —WITH A REPORT FROM MEG J. ADONIS
