Kinondena ng Office of the Vice President (OVP) ang insidente ng pagsunog sa printing office ng isang tabloid na pahayagan nitong Lunes.
Ayon sa spokesperson ni Vice Pres. Leni Robredo na si Atty. Barry Gutierrez, hindi maaaring basta palampasin ang pagsunog ng mga armadong lalaki sa printing office ng Abante dahil nagsilbing banta ito sa malayang pamamahayag.
“We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the recent attack by armed men on the Abante printing offices. This brazen assault cannot be allowed to pass unchallenged because a free press is essential in a free nation.”
Hinimok ng tagapagsalita ng pangalawang pangulo ang pamahalaan na panagutin ang mga nasa likod ng insidente.
“This attempt to intimidate and silence Abante, the leading Filipino language publication in our country, must be resisted by all freedom-loving Filipinos. We call on the authorities to act swiftly on this matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Tinawag din ng OVP ang pansin ng publiko para maging vigilante dahil karapatan ng bawat Pilipino ang malayang impormasyon.
“We send this message to all those who seek to curtail our freedoms through threats and violence: We will not be cowed. We will stand together and defend our freedom.”
