Malacañang on Saturday, July 18, dismissed claims made by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. rejected a proposed ₱10,000 pandemic relief package following the 2022 elections, blasting the lawmaker for peddling baseless rumors and promising to refute his allegations with proof.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro took aim at Cayetano for supposedly manufacturing political drama rather than prioritizing his legislative responsibilities in the Senate.
”Bakit hindi kaya makapagpigil sa sarili si Sen. Alan Cayetano sa paggawa ng intriga at mga kwentong walang basehan?” she said.
Castro stressed that the executive branch would counter the lawmaker’s assertions by presenting verifiable facts.
”Ebidensya ang ibibigay namin panlaban sa mga kasinungalingan ni Sen. Alan,” she said.
The Palace official went on to draw parallels between Cayetano’s tactics and those of former President Rodrigo Duterte, alleging that the senator dangles promises solely to fuel political campaigns.
”Kuhang-kuha ang style ni dating Pangulong Duterte, mangangako pero para sa pangangampanya lang pala,” she said.
Furthermore, Castro claimed that Cayetano was merely trying to deflect blame onto others to cover up what she characterized as his own legislative shortcomings.
”Si Sen. Alan, imbis na ituro ang sarili sa kanyang kapabayaan sa pagtatrabaho, magtuturo siya ng iba masagip lang ang sarili sa kahihiyan,” she said.
The friction arose after Cayetano claimed during a social media broadcast that Marcos turned down his initiative to provide ₱10,000 in cash assistance to qualified beneficiaries during the post-2022 election pandemic recovery period.