Newly-appointed Palace press officer Claire Castro, who also took her oath as Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), quickly fired back at former president Rodrigo Duterte’s accusations that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was steering the country toward dictatorship.
In her first media interview on Monday, Castro condemned Duterte’s remarks, saying, “Hindi tayo puwedeng maniwala sa mga pang-iintriga lamang na walang ebidensya.”
She pointed out that Duterte himself had previously admitted to being an “expert at fabricating evidence” and stirring up false narratives.
“Siguro naman natatandaan ninyo na noong panahon ni dating Pangulong Duterte, inamin niya, fiscal pa lang siya, expert na siya sa pang-intriga at pagplanta ng ebidensya,” she said.
Castro, a lawyer, specifically highlighted the case of former senator Leila de Lima, who was imprisoned under Duterte’s administration on charges many believed were politically motivated.
She emphasized that the public should not expect anything from the former president but more of the same tactics of deceit.
Castro also insinuated that the Duterte family had ambitions of regaining power. “Alam na natin kung saan ang punta nila. Gusto nila ulit makuha ang power, ang authority, ang position.”
Duterte had previously warned that Marcos might impose martial law, similar to the actions of his late father, former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., to ensure a no-election scenario and extend his stay in power.
The former leader also claimed that political opponents were plotting to undermine his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, in a bid to eliminate her from the 2028 presidential race.
In response, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin over the weekend dismissed Duterte’s accusations as nothing more than a “tall tale” from a “tyrant who did not respect the rights of the people.”
Bersamin further referred to Duterte’s claim as another “budol” or deception “emerging from a one-man fake-news factory.”
