WPS: Palace laughs off Sara Duterte’s remark on Marcos’ China ‘link’
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday laughed off Vice President Sara Duterte’s remark that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. could also come under suspicion if Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. does not identify government officials allegedly siding with China.
In an interview on Aug. 6, Duterte challenged Teodoro to name the government officials who are siding with China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute.
This came after Teodoro urged those siding with China to resign from their posts, saying they are bound by oath to uphold the Philippine Constitution.
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The vice president said that without such a list, Marcos could be suspected of being among those Teodoro was alluding to.
READ: Sara Duterte: ‘I am not pro any country at all’
But for Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, the vice president’s remark was a laughing matter.
“Ako natawa, hindi ko alam kung natatawa kayo [reporters]. For me, nakakatawa kasi iyong kanyang mga sinasabi,” she said at a briefing.
(I laughed. I don’t know if you guys found it funny, but for me, it was funny because of the things she was saying.)
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Castro also “wondered” why Duterte and her sibling, whom she did not name, appeared to be affected by Teodoro’s remarks even though he did not identify the pro-China officials.
“Hindi natin alam bakit silang dalawa lamang na magkapatid ang umaalma. Minsan kasi kapag ikaw ay natutumbok, kahit hindi ka pinangangalanan, most probably ikaw ay nare-react,” she said.
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(We don’t know why only the two siblings are the ones speaking out. Sometimes, when something hits close to home, even if you’re not specifically mentioned, you most probably react to it.)
While she did not name names, Castro recently described as “very alarming” Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte’s criticism of Teodoro. The lawmaker had accused the defense chief of “demonizing China” and acting as though he were imposing a loyalty test through his call for resignation.
Meanwhile, Castro defended Marcos, saying his actions in defending the Philippines’ rights in the WPS were evident and had been applauded by many.
“Unang-una, nakita po natin kung paano ipaglaban ng Pangulo ang interes ng bansang Pilipinas at interes ng ating mga kababayan,” she said.
(First and foremost, we saw how the President stood up for the interests of the Philippines and the interests of our fellow Filipinos.)
“Marami na ang humanga at ipinakita na sang-ayon sila kung anong instance ng Pangulo, patungkol sa ating soberanya, kung papaano natin ipaglalaban, poproteksyunan, especially ang ating karapatan sa West Philippine Sea,” Castro added.
(Many have admired and expressed their support for the President’s stance on our sovereignty—particularly on how we will stand up for and protect our rights, especially in the West Philippine Sea.)
At a briefing on August 3, Castro supported Teodoro’s call for government officials who side with China on issues involving the WPS to consider resigning from their posts.
“We don’t see anything wrong with it. The President and the administration see nothing wrong with what Secretary Gibo Teodoro said. It is an expression of love for our country,” she said. /dl
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