by Waylon Galvez
Olympic weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz vehemently denied yesterday allegations that she is part of a plot against the government, insisting that the only thing she is focused on is earning a ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games.
A silver medalist in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and recently in the Asian Weightlifting Championship in Ningbo, China, a qualifier for Tokyo, Diaz was deep in preparation for the World Weightlifting Championship in September in Thailand, as well as the Southeast Asian Games which the country is hosting later this year, when her name cropped up, along with several others.
“Medyo na-down ako, pero at the same time naisip ko lang I know who I am, God knows who I am, yung mga taong nakapaligid sa akin alam nila kung ano yung gusto ko, ano yung focus ko,” said Diaz in an exclusive interview with The Bulletin at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
“Ano man yung binabato nila sa akin, yung mga taong di ko kilala, bakit ako magpapa-apekto?”
She added: “Focus talaga kasi malapit na ako dun sa target ko, sa goals ko. Iniisip ko na lang na yung tsismis na yun on a different level lang… although Malacanang yun kaya na-shock din ako.”
Diaz was tagged in a ‘matrix’ presented by Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo last Wednesday, linking several personalities to a destabilization plot against the Duterte administration.
People close to the popular weightlifter said she was in tears Thursday night, confused and worried for her security and that of her family while at the same feeling “disrespected” that she would be linked to something so unpatriotic after what she has done for the country.
“Natakot ako. Malaking bagay yun, na-realize ko Malacanang yun. Ang dami kong questions na bakit na-link ako dun,” she said.
