By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
“It is not acceptable for a Vice President to anticipate the resignation of the President.”
Amid uncertainty arising from controversies that plague the administration, Malacañang assures Filipinos that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. remains in control of the government and fit to lead the nation.
This, as Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro dispelled the remarks of Vice President Sara Duterte expressing readiness to take over from Marcos as the country’s top government official.
Castro asked the public, referencing the OVP confidential funds controversy, which involves the country’s second-highest public servant, “Ang tanong din natin sa taumbayan, handa na rin po ba kayo sa mas marami pang Mary Grace Piattos?”
She went on to refute Duterte’s statement by dismissing it as a ploy of the opposition and those who want to destabilize the Philippine government by undermining the citizenry’s trust in established institutions and remove the Chief Executive from his seat.
When further quizzed by the media regarding rumours of a succession plan, transition council, and civilian military junta, the Palace mouthpiece responded by emphasizing that President Marcos remains focused on public service amid such political noise and theatrics.
“Tinatanong pa po ba iyan? Of course. Nakikita natin ang trabaho ng Pangulo. Araw-araw, hindi humihinto sa pagtatrabaho. Ni hindi nga po nakakapagbakasyon, at hindi nakakapunta sa beach para magswimming. So, sino po ba talaga ang ready na maging leader ng bansa? Walang iba kundi ang Pangulong Marcos Jr.”
Castro, meanwhile, concluded her remarks by clarifying that as of press time, there are no talks of a Cabinet reshuffle amid an ongoing performance audit of its members, and the government is yet to find replacements for the positions of Presidential Legislative Liaison Officer (PLLO), Special Assistant to the President on Investment and External Affairs (SAPIEA) and Chief Presidential Legal Adviser (CPLA).
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