Anthony Taberna Hits Back After Pinky Amador’s Comment
ANTHONY TABERNA — The veteran journalist addressed the criticisms directed at him by actress Pinky Amador, who previously implied that he was spreading false information.
The issue began in October when Pinky visited one of Taberna’s stores at the height of discussions on his radio program Dos Por Dos with Gerry Baja, where they talked about senators allegedly having insertions in the national budget. During her visit, Pinky made a remark suggesting that she was “there to buy fake news,” which quickly went viral.
Taberna responded publicly, stating that his business does not deal with false information and even lightly encouraged her to try their rice crackers instead.
In a newly released interview with CinemaBravo, Taberna shared mixed feelings about the situation. He admitted feeling both irritated and amused, mainly because he is being accused of spreading fake news without anyone specifying which part of his reporting was supposedly false.
He went on to clarify how the issue arose. On their show, they mentioned the names of several senators allegedly involved in budget insertions, including Senator Risa Hontiveros. He explained that some of the senator’s supporters selectively listened and assumed that he was singling her out, which he denied. When Senator Hontiveros later stated online that she had no bicameral insertions and advised the public not to believe fake news, Taberna felt personally targeted. He emphasized that, like the senator, he also has a reputation to protect.
Because of these posts, Taberna decided to present the documents he had regarding the supposed insertions. He questioned which part of his claims was being labeled as fake, noting that the projects linked to the senator reportedly amounted to more than ₱3 billion. Despite explaining his side, some people continued calling him a “fake news peddler.”
Returning to Pinky’s remarks, Taberna expressed disbelief that the actress would make such comments based solely on a single issue, especially considering her intelligence. He also revealed the most hurtful consequence: some of Pinky’s followers went to his daughters’ social media accounts and left disturbing messages, including wishing for his daughter Zoey’s cancer to return. He described this behavior as deeply offensive and said that if Senator Hontiveros is truly a principled person, she should discourage her supporters from attacking his children.
As of now, neither Senator Hontiveros nor Pinky Amador has issued any response to Taberna’s statements.
Related Post: Hontiveros Denies ₱3B Budget Insertions in 2025 Budget