By Brian Campued
Palace Press Officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro on Friday called Vice President Sara Duterte “blind” for not seeing the work of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and his administration.
Castro remarked in response to questions about the recent statements of Duterte about Marcos Jr. and the current state of the country.
“Unang-una, masasabi natin ang Bise Presidente ay bulag, hindi niya nakikita kung ano ang ginagawa ng Pangulo… Nananatili siyang bulag dahil malamang ay hindi niya pinanonood or ayaw niyang panoorin kung ano ang nagaganap na katotohanan sa mga ginagawa ng Pangulo at ng administrasyon ngayon,” Castro said in a press briefing.
She lamented that the Vice President is now “showing the characteristics of an emotional vulture”—someone pretending to be concerned about the state of the country.
“[I]n fact she admitted that she doesn’t want to help the President in his projects for the country. Drama pero walang gawa,” she said.
No more PH in 2028?
Castro likewise said Duterte’s remark that there might be no more Philippines in 2028 would only happen if Filipinos elect a “Manchurian candidate” as the country’s leader.
“Kung ang kaniyang hula ay magkakatotoo, malamang mangyayari iyan kung ang isang lider na iboboto sa 2028 ay isang Manchurian candidate, isang puppet ng isang bansa kung saan maaaring ipamigay ang ating yaman, ang ating karapatan sa ibang bansa,” she said.
“Mayroon po na naging tugon dati ang dating Pangulong [Rodrigo] Duterte na maaari tayo or gawin tayong probinsiya ng isang bansa, so kung isang Manchurian candidate ang ating iboboto, baka nga maging probinsiya tayo ng isang bansa. Huwag naman po sana,” she added.
‘Don’t be a chucky’
On Duterte’s claim that Marcos Jr. committed impeachable offenses, particularly the signing of a national budget with alleged blank pages and insertions as well as the use of illegal drugs, Castro said, “Unahin niya po muna iyong mga kaso niya bago niya tingnan ang kaso ng iba.”
“Marami na po tayong beses na nagsabi na siya ang source ng fake news,” Castro stressed, noting that those who spread AI-generated videos and fake documents are also Duterte’s allies.
Meanwhile, Castro lambasted Duterte for supposedly saying that she and Marcos Jr. should be together.
“[G]anito po bang lider tulad ni VP Sara ang dapat nating hangaan at dapat nating ilagay sa pedestal? Ang anumang salitang nanggagaling sa kaniya ay puro paninira, puro insinuation, puro ka-imoralidad,” Castro said.
“Ang Pangulo po ay mayroong pamilya, mapagmahal na asawa, mabuting ama at ako rin po ay may pamilya. So sa isang tulad ni Bise Presidente na magsasalita ng ganito, ito po ay napakababa bilang babae,” she added.
Before concluding the press briefing, the Palace official relayed her message for Duterte ahead of Valentine’s Day: “Spread love, not fake news, not immorality. Don’t be a chucky.”
-jpv
