Mariz Umali, a well-known reporter and news anchor of GMA Network, has clarified the controversy that has spread regarding her alleged “old” statement regarding Atty. Salvador Medialdea, the former Executive Secretary of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The issue started when a video went viral in which there was a false accusation about what Umali said while showing exclusive footage of Atty. Medialdea being discharged from a hospital on a stretcher. According to the posts that have been circulating, Mariz is said to have called Medialdea “old” while he was on a stretcher.

In a post on her Facebook account, Mariz stated that she did not use the word “old” and explained that what she actually said was, “Look at his (Medialdea’s) ‘eyes’, they were open at first but when she saw me, they were closed.”

According to Mariz, her statement was only referring to Atty. Medialdea’s eyes, and not his age. Mariz admitted that there was a misinterpretation and that he was misheard by people watching the video.

“I wish to address and clarify an inaccurate claim about me that has gone viral regarding a statement I made about Former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.”

“A certain vlogger has circulated a post containing my voice, claiming that I referred to Former Executive Secretary Medialdea as “old” while he was on a stretcher. This interpretation is inaccurate. What I actually said was, “Look at his ‘eyes’ (Medialdea), they were open at first but when he saw me, they were closed.” At that time, I, along with our stringer, was reviewing an exclusive footage of Former Executive Secretary Medialdea being taken out of the penitentiary on a stretcher. My observation was purely about his eyes—how they were initially open but closed upon seeing me during my attempt to interview him.”

As a news anchor, Mariz considers her job a responsibility and does not tolerate statements that may cause misunderstanding. She stated that her true goal is to provide accurate information and not to tarnish the reputation of anyone, especially public figures like Atty. Medialdea. According to her, the mistake was obvious and she wanted to clarify it so that the misinformation that is being spread will not continue.

Umali added, “It is obvious that I was misheard. I want to be clear that no disrespect was intended toward Former Executive Secretary Medialdea. I hope this clarification helps set the record straight.”

She thanked her supporters for their understanding and said that this experience will serve as a lesson to make her more careful in the statements she makes to the public.

Mariz continued to remain calm and explained that in such cases, misinterpretations of what someone says are inevitable, but the most important thing is to accept responsibility and clarify misunderstandings. He also said that the issue should not be exaggerated and reminded people to be careful in spreading information, especially on social media, so as not to hurt others.

In the end, Mariz admitted that the misinterpretation that occurred was a great opportunity to set an example of how to explain and set the record straight on issues that appear in the media. He was proud that he has supporters who continue to trust his integrity and professionalism.

The issue regarding the erroneous statement of Mariz Umali provided lessons on the importance of careful use of language in the public platform and the responsibility of everyone, especially media practitioners, to ensure their statements to avoid misunderstandings.