1 week Ago
FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — CJ Hirro, anchor for Peanut Gallery Media Network, has called on Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo to face her in a live debate amid controversy over a P71-million school project. In a video posted on PGMN’s social media platforms, Hirro challenged Rillo to a no-edits, no-censorship debate set for Tuesday at noon, addressing allegations tied to the Carlos L.
Albert High School multipurpose building project. Hirro pushed back against threats of a lawsuit from Rillo’s camp, calling them “a desperate, cowardly attempt to intimidate and silence someone who is doing her job—her civic duty of protecting the interests of her countrymen.” “Debate me face-to-face.
Let’s dissect every allegation—go through each one—line by line, item by item. Answer every question,” Hirro said. The controversy centers on the project’s first phase, which began in March 2023 but remains unfinished, with only the foundation and steel posts completed.
Rillo and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said only the first phase had been finished, with two more phases remaining to complete the building at a total cost of P225 million. Hirro, however, said that the project’s bidding documents and project billboard made no mention of multiple phases. She noted that such details should have been stated explicitly in the special conditions section of the bidding documents to ensure continuity of funding across different administrations.
She also pointed out that no budget had been allocated for the second and third phases. Citing the project’s Bill of Quantities, Hirro said the approved budget included ceiling reinforcements, windows, doors and tiles, arguing that the budget was intended for a completed structure, not just its foundation and posts. In a statement sent to the Inquirer last week, Rillo dismissed the allegations as “hearsay.
” Hirro countered that she compared Rillo’s public statements — drawn from interviews and his official Facebook page — against official documents from PhilGEPS and DPWH. “That is—by definition—the literal opposite of hearsay,” she said. She also criticized politicians’ misuse of the term “fake news,” calling it a “get-out-of-truth-free card” used to evade accountability.
Hirro said a live debate would allow Rillo to publicly defend himself. “If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to be afraid of,” she said. She warned that if Rillo pursued legal action instead of addressing the allegations, it would show “that you do not fight fair and that you are a coward.
” “PGMN is not a ragtag band of backyard broadcasters you can bully like some goon in a low-budget kiss kiss bang bang movie,” Hirro said. “I am a journalist, armed with truth and backed by those who will not bend to your scare tactics.” As of this writing, Hirro’s video challenge has drawn close to one million views across Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and X.
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