Palace exec hits back at Sara Duterte over recent remark

MANILA, Philippines — If not from Malacañang, where should the public turn for information about what is happening in the country?

This was the question raised by Palace Press Officer Claire Castro to Vice President Sara Duterte, who described everything Castro says as “nakakabobo” and shameful for the Office of the President.

READ: OVP has 335 guards still on payroll – COA

“The Vice President does not want the public to listen to the Palace’s messages because they become aware of the truth and learn about the President’s programs for the country. So where should the people listen? To the misinformation being spread by her and her allies?” Castro said in Filipino in a Viber message to reporters.

The Palace official also pointed to a report by the Commission on Audit (COA), which flagged the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for the alleged misuse of funds.

“In her latest statement claiming that the OVP’s funds and projects were well-planned, the COA contradicted her after noting the OVP’s failure to comply with the law, rules, and guidelines,” Castro said, speaking Filipino.

“The COA found deficiencies in the OVP’s financial statements… documents and situation reports were missing, beneficiaries could not be identified, and it was unclear where and to whom their funds actually went,” she added.

These remarks came after Duterte, in a livestreamed interview in The Hague on Tuesday, slammed Castro’s statements that the fight against greedy government officials should start at the OVP.

READ: Sara Duterte fires back at Palace exec over ‘fake news’ remark

“‘This is what I’ve been saying all along: we shouldn’t carry what she says because, first of all, she doesn’t say anything sensible; what she says only makes people look foolish,” Duterte said when asked for a reaction to Castro’s objections to her statements.

“And secondly, it brings shame, especially when she speaks with the Office of the President seal visible, because the whole world sees it. It brings embarrassment as Filipinos. That’s why it’s better to ignore it so the news doesn’t spread,” she also said in Filipino.

This was not the first time Castro and Duterte engaged in a public spat. Last May, Duterte told the public to stop listening to Castro, describing her words as “trash.” /jpv