President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday, October 11, clarified his “buwaon,” or liar, remark against Vice President Sara Duterte, saying it was a private reaction to an issue related to the elections that was not meant to be made public.
Marcos made the clarification during a press briefing in Singapore, where he is on a working visit, after addressing Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro, who earlier attributed the remark to him.
“Bakit mo sinabi sa kanila? That was only supposed to be the two of us,” Marcos said, referring to Castro.
He explained that his reaction was related to a matter involving the elections and was part of a larger statement.
“That was my reaction was to changing the constitution to the elections. Kasama yun eh, sa quotation na yun eh. Yun ang reaction ko,” Marcos said.
The president added that he had only recently received a report about the matter and asked Castro whether it was true that the report had come out.
“I don't know why Claire said it. I just got this report and I asked her, is it true that this report came out? Ayun ang comment ko sa kanya,” Marcos said.
“Akala niya press release na pala yun,” the president added.
He ended his remarks with a playful reference to Castro, saying, “Ante Claire talaga.”
The clarification came after Castro, during a Palace press briefing on September 28, quoted Marcos as describing Duterte's comments as “nonsense” and “fake news,” and saying she had a tendency to lie.
Castro issued the statement after Duterte denied allegations by dismissed police corporal and former security aide Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. that he had delivered suitcases containing more than ₱2 billion in cash to the vice president, former President Rodrigo Duterte and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte.
Duterte had described the allegations as an act of desperation by the Marcos administration, calling them a media stunt intended to revive the impeachment case against her and bring her down.
In response, Castro said Marcos had described the vice president's comments as “nonsense, fake news, may hilig magsinungaling, mga buwaon.”
