PCO chief Ruiz mulls filing cases vs. Marfil, Cabacungan

A fuming Presidential Communications Office chief Jay Ruiz faces member of the Malacanang Press Corps on Tuesday, and hit the owners of the online media company Politiko, his former friends Gil Cabacungan and Rey Marfil, for peddling fake news after spreading articles implicating the PCO chief for allegedly co-founding Digital8 Inc. and reaping more than P200 million worth of contracts with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

In the Certificate of Incorporation obtained by the DAILY TRIBUNE from the Securities and Exchange Commission, no ‘Jay Ruiz’ was listed on the sheet of Digital8 Inc.

Only ‘Santos’ and ‘Miranda’ are the surnames of the five incorporators of the said firm, engaged in full-service multimedia production, audio-visual presentations, commercial, television, film, and web-based documentaries and features.

“First, the Digi8 contract is not mine. I’m not a stockholder or shareholder. I was just invited to represent the company as a media personality because of having a stature to represent as a spokesperson. In January, I resigned,” he said.

Ruiz said since the company is not his, then the accusation being floated against him is false.

“Fake news eh. If I answered the fake news, then I will just give credibility to the false news. What is hurting is that I was not even asked about it by those I treated as my friends, the owners of the news organization,” Ruiz lamented.

Ruiz pertains to Cabacungan whom he said he has been with covering the Senate, and Marfil at the House of Representatives.

“The accusation is huge. They could have asked me first before posting it online. The bigger the accusation, the bigger the fact checking. They could have asked me or made a research. So, it’s fake news. The traditional media and social media sites were used to smear my reputation,” Ruiz told reporters.

“Ano gusto nyo pwesto ko? May gusto kayo sa akin? Ano ba? I am trying to reform the office. I was the fourth PCO secretary. Eight-day pa lang marami nang sumasaksak sa akin. Lumutang pa lang ang pangalan ko, bulong pa, kung ano anon ang paninira ang ginawa nila sa akin.” he stressed.

("What do you want — my position? Do you have an issue with me? What is this really about? I am trying to reform the office. I was the fourth PCO Secretary. It's only my eighth day, and so many are already stabbing me in the back. The moment my name surfaced, even just in whispers, they started spreading all kinds of attacks against me.")

Reports claimed Ruiz is a top executive of Digital 8 Inc., a company that secured a P178.5-million joint venture contract with Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC-13) to produce and transmit PCSO lotto draws and other games.

The programs were previously aired on the People’s Television Network (PTV), but have since moved to IBC-13. Both PTV-4 and IBC-13 are state owned.

Additionally, Digital 8 Inc. reportedly won a separate P27.552-million contract with PCSO in December 2024 for the production and placement of digital promotional videos.

Divesting

On Monday, a confusion happened at the PCO when Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, told reporters that Ruiz was in the process of divesting from the firm to resolve any conflict of interest without clarifying what company she is pertaining to.

“I have a political communication management firm. Matagal ko nang firm yan. So, dun may possible conflict of interest, although wala pang 25 percent (ang share) ko. Sa law, dapat 25 percent. I have to check. Biglaan lang naman ang appointment ko eh, hindi ko inasahan at hinangad to. I have 60 days to divest at doon ako magda-divest,” he stated.

He said the accusation has affected his family, especially his 78-year-old mother, who suffered difficulty in breathing when the controversy broke.

“And how about the security of my children, my family, when they said I have amassed P200 million. They put their lives in danger. The mental stress of my wife, and mine? How about that? I want to make this office open and transparent. But this time it’s fake news. A lie told a thousand times drowns out the truth. The PCO should be the vanguard of truth,” Ruiz noted.

The PCO chief then urged all media practitioners to be responsible and fact check the information after printing or uploading them online.

He said the rumors coming out against him might have something to do with the current reorganization that he is implementing at the PCO, as bickering at the said office is happening left and right.

“Talangka mentality is the worst trait in the Philippines. Dapat sama-sama, tulong-tulong, bayanihan at katotohanan. I am on the defending side because of fake news. I was thinking of filing charges very hard because I want to clear my name and the name of my family, my mother, my sons,” he said.

“If something happens to my mom, I will never forgive them and I will never forgive myself for accepting this job. At 50 years, this is my last hurrah. I still believe we can change for the better. Huwag tayong talangka, that is wrong,” Ruiz said, noting that he will not resign from his post due to the controversy.

But at the end of the interview, Ruiz backpedaled and said he would not file charges against his two supposed friends.