PCG spokesperson, Commodore Jay Tarriela (left) SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta (Facebook)

"Why would I even defend you if you're calling me gago (a fool)?"

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson, Commodore Jay Tarriela gave this blunt response to SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 18, after the latter confronted him about his recent controversial comments on the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The face-off between the two took place during the House tri-committee's (tri-comm) second hearing on the proliferation of fake news on social media.

Marcoleta wanted to hear from Tarriela himself whether or not he branded the veteran solon a "traitor" after the former said during the tri-comm's Feb.3 hearing that "There is no [WPS]," and that it was a "creation by us [Filipinos]".

On Feb. 5, the PCG mouthpiece said in response to Marcoleta: “Hearing someone claim that the [WPS] is merely a fabrication of the Philippine government is a disservice and an embarrassment to their entire party, the organization they belong to, and even their own family,."

Apparently, this thorny retort was picked up by social media personalities and content creators, who spun the statement to make it appear that Tarriela called Marcoleta a traitor. These content became viral, much to Marcoleta's chagrin.

However, Tarriela denied uttering the word "traitor". When the SAGIP solon argued that it behooved Tarriela to corect these content creators by personally calling them out, the PCG official flatout rejected it.

"I only came to know about it (viral content) after Congressman Marcoleta called me 'gago' (fool) and 'mangmang' (stupid) in one of his interviews," he said to the legislator's face.

He went on to quote Marcoleta in a Feb. 10 interview, wherein the latter said, "Wag tayong magpa-gago at magpaka-ignorante katulad ng commodore na yan (Let's not be fools and stupid like that commodore)."

"If it is true Mr. Chair that he did not call me traitor but it continues to be there, and to be consumed by the public through the social media. I think it is his responsibility to deny it, if it did not come from him. That [was] all I was asking. And I think this is not too big for him to do," replied Marcoleta.

A visibly irate Tarriela shot back: "The only time I learned about that was when I heard about your interview calling me gago and mangmang. Why would I even defend you if you're calling me gago, as a commissioned officer of the [PCG] being a spokesperson, calling me mangmang (stupid), not knowing what I'm saying?"

He also acknowledged that Marcoleta was a senatorial candidate in the upcoming May 12 elections. Thus, the PCG official said he wouldn't want to be tagged as biased toward Marcoleta, one way or the other.

The legislator claimed that he neither called Tarriela a fool nor stupid.

"Actually if you would read that context, the act of doing it is the one that is gago (foolish). It's not necessarily the person," he said.

Seemingly unconvinced by this explanation, Tarriela further told the tri-comm: "As a human being, how would I defend somebody na gina-'gago' po ako sa isang public interview (who called me a 'fool' in a public interview)?"

Marcoleta replied: "Let us defend our own nang hndi tayo nagiging gago or nagiging emotional (Let us defend our own so that we won't become fools or emotional)."

'Make it official' 

Marcoleta's main issue was that his statement on WPS last Feb. 3 had led to his "bashing" and tagging as a "pro-China" personality. He said he was "hurt" by this. 

He clarified during Tuesday's hearing that all he wanted to happen was for the Philippine government to have the name "West Philippine Sea" listed before the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) to "make it official". 

"I do not deserve to be called a traitor just like that. Kasi ang gusto kong mangyari, lumitaw, maimpormahan lahat ng tao na sa ngayon hindi pa talaga naitatala officially yung 'West Philippine Sea'...pagsikapan natin, pagsakitan nating ipatala natin," Marcoleta said. 

(What I want is to highlight, to inform everyone that as of now, 'West Philippine Sea' has not yet been officially listed...let us pour our efforts into having it listed.) 

In the end, Marcoleta thanked Tarriela for stating on the record that he didn't call him a traitor. "So salamat, kahit na huli (So thank you, even if it's late)," he said, to which Tarriela gave a mocking grin.