Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro refuted Vice President (VP) Sara Duterte's allegation that Malacañang had fabricated the news of her leaving the country without travel authority.
In a Malacañang press briefing held on Tuesday, August 12, Castro explained that they do not have information with regards to the whereabouts of the VP. However, there is news claiming that the Undersecretary said that the VP is planning on going to Kuwait, but does not have travel authority yet.
“Pero ang sinabi ng Bise Presidente sa kaniyang panayam ay gumagawa tayo ng kwento, at sinabi natin daw na siya ay pumunta–past tense–sa Kuwait nang walang travel authority,” she said.
Castro clarified that she did not say the VP left without travel authority for Kuwait, but that she was on her way, or she was just planning to travel and had not yet requested travel authority for the said trip.
“Nag-viral ito at nasabihan pa tayong fake news. ‘Yan ang naratibo ng iba pang mga sumusuporta sa kaniya, kaya inalam natin kung bakit naging source na naman ng fake news ang Bise Presidente. Dahil in-edit pala ang video na tinutukoy niya at pinalabas na ang aking sinabi ay pumunta siya sa Kuwait nang walang inihain na request para sa travel authority,” she expressed.
Castro then showed the unedited version of the briefing where she originally said about the VP’s plan for traveling to Kuwait. She also showed the allegedly edited video on which the VP based her accusation.
“Okay so in other words, yung sinabi natin na wala tayong impormasyon at may napabalita na siya ay pumunta or pupunta sa Kuwait, na-edit po ‘yon. Maliwanag,” Castro said, implying that the video allegedly shown to VP Duterte was clearly edited.
“So ganyan sila gumawa ng pekeng balita kaya nagiging paulit-ulit na source of fake news ang Bise Presidente dahil sa ganyang mga klase ng video na ine-edit– edited. Fake news again,” she further said.
The Undersecretary said that it’s not difficult to be responsible, especially when answering questions from the media. She also reminded fellow Filipinos to be critical in absorbing news.
