Malacañang refuted Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte’s claims against President Marcos, dismissing them as mere smear tactics.
“Mayor Baste’s statements are clearly untrue; they are nothing but smear tactics, which he wants his allies to amplify to make it appear that the President is doing nothing. But that is contrary to the truth,” Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a briefing on Monday, May 25.
Castro was reacting to remarks made by Duterte during a regional gathering of the Rage Coalition in Davao City on May 23, where the mayor claimed Marcos had no achievements and had brought back drugs, criminality, and corruption.
The Palace official countered that those who frequently go on vacations are the same ones questioning the President’s accomplishments.
She described Duterte’s remarks as “repeated claims” meant to mislead the public about the current administration.
“We cannot blame them if they are blind and deaf to what the President is doing, perhaps because they are not even in the country. But these are the same repeated claims they and their allies keep making to deceive the public with lies that our President is doing nothing,” Castro said.
Castro also rejected Duterte’s claim that illegal drugs have proliferated under Marcos, pointing instead to recent seizures in Davao City.
She cited a May 14 operation where authorities confiscated ₱15.6 million worth of shabu, questioning the effectiveness of the war on drugs under former president Rodrigo Duterte.
“That is precisely why our government remains relentless in combating illegal drugs. But we wonder why so many illegal drugs continue to be seized in Davao City if the so-called war on drugs was truly effective,” she said.
On corruption, Castro stressed that the administration continues to hold accountable those responsible.
“One person who admitted to being corrupt and stealing public funds is now in The Hague,” she added.
She also denied Duterte’s claim that the country is under “undeclared martial law,” emphasizing that the President is not suppressing press freedom or the rights of the people.
Asked if the President would simply allow Duterte to continue criticizing him, Castro said law enforcement agencies such as the NBI and PNP should investigate if any laws are being violated or if false statements are being spread to create disorder. (Betheena Unite)
