Malacañang rejected Vice President Sara Duterte’s claim linking Senate instability to the Marcos administration on Thursday, June 11, saying the political tension in the upper chamber is rooted in actions taken by her allies in the legislature.
Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Vice President’s statements misrepresent the situation in the Senate and urged caution against spreading false narratives.
“Ang paulit-ulit na kasinungalingan ay naglalagay sa atin sa isang kumunoy,” Castro said, responding to Duterte’s recent remarks.
(The repeated lies put us in a difficult situation.)
Castro maintained that while the administration remains focused on governance and national concerns, accusations being thrown at the executive branch divert attention from ongoing efforts to address economic and disaster-related challenges.
She also reiterated that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. continues to prioritize public service amid issues such as global oil price movements and the impact of recent natural disasters, including the earthquake in Mindanao.
In addressing the situation in the Senate, Castro pointed to alleged involvement of Duterte allies in recent developments within the chamber, including reported maneuvers tied to leadership realignments and impeachment-related issues.
“Inamin din naman ni Senator Bato dela Rosa kung bakit pinilit na siya ay pumunta at bumoto – una, to change the leadership; pangalawa, for the impeachment,” she said.
(Senator Bato dela Rosa did admit the reason as to why he was pushed to attend and vote – one, to change the leadership; two, for the impeachment.)
Castro also raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding Sen. dela Rosa’s movements within the Senate, saying his situation was facilitated by allies and should not be attributed to the administration.
“So ang mga tao sa likod nito, ang lahat ng ito, lahat sila, sila iyong nagsasabing dapat na ibasura ang impeachment, ito ay lahat para sa proteksyon ng Bise Presidente,” she said.
(So the people behind all of this, they are the ones who keep saying that the impeachment should be junked, all of this is for the Vice President’s protection.)
She further dismissed claims blaming the executive branch for Senate disorder, saying responsibility lies elsewhere.
“So, hindi totoo na tungkol daw sa kahinaan ng liderato ng administrasyon kung hindi ito ay sa patuloy na pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan para lamang sa kanilang mga kaalyado,” Castro said. “So, huwag sanang mamihasa sa pagdudungis ng iba para magmukhang biktima sa ating mga mata.”
(It is not true that the cause is the weak leadership of the administration, but it is because of the continuous abuse of power only for their allies. So I hope they do not get accustomed to dirtying others just to play the victim in our eyes.)
Meanwhile, Malacañang reiterated that President Marcos is not currently considering the Philippines’ return to the International Criminal Court (ICC), following the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2017 under the previous administration.
The ICC has since pursued investigations tied to the former government’s anti-drug campaign.
