MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has rejected accusations from Vice President Sara Duterte that his administration is orchestrating a political scheme against her, calling her claims untruthful as fresh allegations surfaced involving billions of pesos in cash deliveries.
During a press briefing on Monday, Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro relayed the President’s direct reaction to the Vice President’s recent statements targeting the administration.
“Nonsense, fake news, mahilig magsinungaling, mga buwaon,” Marcos said, according to Castro.
Castro explained that Marcos chose to address the issue directly due to continuous attacks from the Vice President against the executive branch.
“Paulit-ulit po kasi, paulit-ulit, hindi tumitigil sa paninira kay Pangulo, sa paninira sa administrasyong ito na ang tanging ginagawa lamang ay magtrabaho, trabaho para sa Pilipinas, magtrabaho para sa ating mga kababayan,” Castro stated.
“So, hindi po puwedeng isabale-wala na lang ang lahat ng kasinungalingang ito na namumutawi sa isang obstructionist, sa isang destabilizer,” she added.
The Exchange followed claims by Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., a former police officer claiming to be the former security chief for former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
Gracioso alleged he delivered over ₱2 billion in cash-filled suitcases to Vice President Duterte, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Representative Paolo Duterte across more than 20 occasions under Velasco’s orders.
Duterte dismissed Gracioso’s account as a manufactured distraction designed to bolster a weak impeachment effort, denying any acquaintance or financial dealings with him and indicating her legal team is preparing lawsuits against the accuser.
Representatives for Velasco also repudiated Gracioso’s statements as false and inconsistent with facts. The National Bureau of Investigation is currently examining the claims.
Castro stated that while Malacañang expects allegations involving public funds to be supported by clear evidence, the administration does not endorse using fabricated stories against political rivals.
She added that arguments regarding the strength of the impeachment case should be settled through concrete evidence rather than attacks on the executive office.
The exchange comes as Duterte faces an ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate focused on allegations of unexplained wealth and corporate affiliations. The proceedings recently included evaluations of subpoenaed bank records under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment.
The impeachment court previously established that a two-thirds conviction vote would be based on the number of actively participating senator-judges rather than the full 24-member Senate body.