MANILA — Malacañang has pushed back against accusations from Vice President Sara Duterte’s camp alleging that the Marcos administration is orchestrating a systematic government operation to target her.
During a press briefing in Manila on Friday, October 16, Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro clarified that the executive branch’s adopted whole-of-government framework is entirely dedicated to resolving pressing national issues, specifically mitigating the impacts of the Middle East crisis and the super El Niño phenomenon, rather than persecuting any specific public figure.
“Ang gobyerno, ang pamahalaan, ang Pangulo ay ipinapatupad ang whole-of-government approach para labanan natin ang epekto ng El Nino, ang epekto ng krisis sa Middle East pero hindi para i-down, or husgahan ang isang tao,” Castro stated.
Addressing ongoing inquiries by law enforcement agencies, Castro stressed that the steps taken by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and NBI Director Matibag fall completely within their legal mandates and operational boundaries.
“Kung ano lang po ang ginagawang trabaho ng NBI at ni NBI Director Matibag ito naman po ay naaayon sa kanyang mandato,” she noted.
The Palace official further argued that public servants who fail to perform their official duties properly should be held accountable for their shortcomings.
“Mas sisisihin po natin ang mga opisyal na hindi nagtatrabaho nang naaayon sa kanilang mandato,” Castro emphasized.
Moreover, Castro maintained that presenting factual information or uncovering possible anomalies involving a government official should not be misconstrued as a malicious attempt to ruin someone’s reputation.
She advised the Vice President that the most constructive approach is to confront the allegations head-on with verifiable facts rather than criticizing legitimate state investigations.
“Ang pinaka magandang mangyayari na lamang dito kung talagang maipapakita ang mga ebidensya sa diumanong anomalya ng Bise Presidente, ito ay diretso niyang tugunan, ito ay diretso niyang depensahan sa pamamagitan ng gamit ng ebidensya, hindi para magturo at manira sa mga ginagawang pag-iimbestiga ng mga inbestigating agencies ng gobyerno,” Castro concluded.