Malacañang clarified on Sunday that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. did not want Baguio City Mayor Benjamin “Benjie” Magalong to step down as special adviser to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
Magalong’s resignation came after Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said on September 26 that the President’s legal team was reviewing his appointment due to possible conflict of interest arising from his concurrent role as Baguio City mayor.
At the time, Castro noted that government lawyers were also exploring whether it would be simpler to revoke Magalong’s appointment altogether — a statement that reportedly angered the mayor.
In his resignation letter to the President, Magalong said the Palace’s remarks “undermined the role and mandate entrusted to me.” He added that he would continue his fight against corruption even outside his post in the ICI.
However, in a radio interview, Castro clarified that the Palace merely wanted to determine if there was a potential conflict of interest in Magalong’s dual role as a local chief executive and an ICI adviser.
She said the President only wanted to ensure there were no violations of the Constitution or the Local Government Code tied to the appointment.
“’Yun lang naman yung gustong patignan,” she explained, adding that the review “was not meant to throw Magalong under the bus.”
Castro emphasized that the issue was unrelated to the ₱118-million tennis court project in Baguio City, which had been awarded to a company reportedly owned by high-profile contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya.
“Sa kasamaang palad siya ay bumitaw kaagad kahit hindi naman yan ang nais ng Pangulo,” Castro said.
She also clarified that she did not respond to questions about the tennis court during her Palace briefing, stressing that her statements were limited to clarifying Magalong’s “double role” in government.
Magalong earlier described the accusations linking him to the project as “below the belt,” maintaining that he had no involvement in the deal.