By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
Malacañang on Tuesday described as “delusional” the call by Vice President Sara Duterte’s camp for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to resign.
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro said the call for the President’s resignation has no legal basis, adding that it was apparently intended to install the vice president as president.
Usec. Castro stressed that VP Duterte’s ambition alone is not enough to lead the country, saying the next leader must have the capability, knowledge, and preparedness to handle the nation’s most pressing concerns.
“Definitely, the demand for the President to resign, without any legal basis and in order to put in place the principal of the spokesperson is definitely, absolutely delusional,” she said.
Her statement was in response to VP Duterte’s spokesperson, lawyer Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr., who accused President Marcos Jr. of being “out of touch with reality” for allegedly trivializing accusations of corruption and abuses in government by portraying them as a matter of personal anger.
Panelo urged Marcos Jr. to step down, saying the chief executive is “not fit for office.”
Usec. Castro said the President’s remark referred to VP Duterte’s personal anger toward him and not to the alleged problems in government cited by the Vice President’s camp.
“Kapag sinabi po natin kasi – na sinabi nilang ‘out of touch with reality’ ang Pangulo noong sinabi po niyang, ‘What can I do, you cannot force anyone to love you,’ nagre-refer po ito sa personal anger ng Bise Presidente na sa pananaw ng Pangulo ay siya ‘yung target. Hindi po ito patungkol sa mga diumanong problema ng gobyerno,” she said.
Political noise
The Palace official was referring to the President’s recent interview in India, where he was asked to react to VP Duterte’s criticisms against him.
Usec. Castro also emphasized the need for capability, knowledge, and preparedness, particularly in dealing with strategic national issues.
She cited the West Philippine Sea and the Pax Silica initiative as examples of matters requiring capable leadership and adequate knowledge.
Usec. Castro also hit back at claims that President Marcos Jr. was not accomplishing anything, saying those who make such accusations may not appreciate the demands of the presidency because they themselves are not working.
“Madaling magbintang, madaling magsabi na walang nagagawa ang isang Pangulo, dahil mismo ang nagsasabi nito ay walang nagiging trabaho,” Usec. Castro said.
“Kaya hindi nila nakikita kung gaano kabigat ang mga gawain ng Pangulo at kung paano magtrabaho ang Pangulo. So, sa mga taong hindi nagtatrabaho, hindi nila nakikita ang taong tunay na nagtatrabaho,” she added.
Asked about Panelo’s recent appointment as Duterte’s spokesperson and the prospect of the two officials frequently trading statements, Usec. Castro said she would simply respond to baseless allegations and misinformation against the administration.
“I will just make a response to all allegations that maybe given without any basis and that is my job, that is my mandate—to refute all the fake news and all the misinformation that may be coming from critics or from the Duterte supporters like him,” she said.
