Malacañang on Friday said she could not say whether to believe Vice President Sara Duterte’s claim that several invitations for her to speak at public events had been canceled out of fear of reprisal from the administration.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the statement after Duterte alleged that some event organizers withdrew their invitations because they did not want to be “targeted” by the current administration and downplayed the Vice President’s remarks, describing them as “lies and drama.”
Speaking at a press briefing, Castro showed an old report in which former president Rodrigo Duterte referred to his daughter as a “drama queen” and accused her of lying in past instances.
“Doon sa una muna niyang binanggit na parang siya ba iniiwasan o kinansel ang invitation. Mismo ang dating Pangulong Duterte ang nagsabi na may mga pagkakataon na ang Bise Presidente ay sinungaling,” Castro said.
She added, “Binanggit din po ni dating Pangulong Duterte na ang kanyang anak na si VP Sara ay isang drama queen.”
Castro said the former president’s remarks contradicted statements previously made by the Vice President when she was still mayor.
“Dito pinasinungalingan niya mismo ang sinabi ng dating Mayor Sara Duterte sa isang issue ito. So kailan pa ba natin paniniwalaan ang mga sinasabi ng Bise Presidente kung mismo ang kanyang ama ay sinasabing siya ay nagsisinungaling?” she said.
Castro also made the statement when asked about the Vice President’s recent speech in Davao City, where she became emotional while reflecting on her political decisions in the 2022 elections.
In her speech on February 25, the Vice President wondered aloud how her life might have turned out had she chosen to run again for mayor instead of seeking the country’s second-highest post.
“Napaisip ako sa sarili ko, paano kaya kung tumakbo na lang ako bilang mayor? Hindi na lang ako tumakbo bilang vice president?” the Vice President said on Wednesday.
Castro said she agreed with the Vice President’s reflection, suggesting it might have been better if she had remained as mayor.
“Mas umunlad sana or mas uunlad pa maliban sa ginagawa ng Pangulo ngayon, kapag siya ay may katuwang sa pag-unlad ng bansa. Mas naging mainam sana,” Castro said. “Hindi isang bise-presidente na magtatrabaho, mag-aaksyon at hindi bakasyon at hindi puro paninira ang gagawin sa ating Pangulo.”
“Pero sabi nga natin, nasa huli ang pagsisisi,” Castro emphasized.
