Malacañang defended President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday following Vice President Sara Duterte’s criticism of his presence at a drug incineration facility, countering the remark by flashing a photo of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, doing the same thing years ago.
During a press briefing, Palace Press Briefer Claire Castro showed reporters an image of the elder Duterte attending a drug incineration event in 2020. The move came after Vice President Duterte questioned the necessity of President Marcos leading the destruction of over ₱9.48 billion worth of illegal drugs in Capas, Tarlac, calling it a mere “photo op.”
Castro said the president’s presence in Tarlac was not for show. “The president woke up early yesterday, went to Tarlac, worked, ordered, did not go on a vacation, and supervised the destruction of illegal drugs,” she stated, emphasizing that Marcos wanted the public to see his commitment in the fight against narcotics.
“This is not just a photo op. It serves as a warning to criminals and as an inspiration to people who want to curb illegal drugs,” she added.
Holding up a printout of a 2020 news article featuring Rodrigo Duterte at a similar event, Castro remarked, “So maybe the vice president forgot this.”
She reiterated that transparency is vital: “Work should not be hidden. It should be visible to the people. The president should report to the people.”
This is not the first time the Palace official pushed back against remarks made by the vice president. Earlier this week, when Duterte questioned the Marcos administration’s handling of the country’s ₱16-trillion debt, Castro reminded her that much of it was inherited and had ballooned during her father’s term.
“We have a saying: The person who does not know how to look back to where one comes from… will not really know the truth,” she said.
