Malacañang on Friday addressed Vice President Sara Duterte’s skepticism over the 2025 midterm election results, emphasizing the need for the opposition to uphold and respect the will of the electorate.
During a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro urged Vice President Duterte not to turn her "dream" of alleged election irregularities into perceived reality, cautioning that such claims could mislead the public.
"Sa mga ganito kasi, wish lang nilla ‘yon. Libre naman ang mangarap. Ang pangarap na ‘yon ay sa ngayon ay hindi mangyayari," said Castro.
"Ang pangarap sana ay huwag gawing realidad, baka marami ang maniwala. Kung ano po ang naging resulta ng eleksyon, igalang na lang po natin," she firmly added.
She further remarked that, in her view, the Duterte camp has consistently refused to recognize any positive aspect of the current administration.
Castro claimed that their intent is to discredit institutions by undermining the integrity of the elections and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
"Iyan naman po ang nakikita nating gusto nilang gawing naratibo. Sirain pati ang institusyon, ang kredibilidad ng eleksyon, pati na ang COMELEC. ‘Yan ang talagang ninanais nila," Castro explained.
The Palace official concluded by saying that it would have been more appropriate to work than to go on vacation, while clarifying that her remark was not directed at anyone in particular.
Notably, Duterte recently left for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on a personal trip with her family, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) confirmed on Tuesday, June 10.
Duterte earlier said she had spoken with IT experts who claimed that the numbers released in the recent elections could not be accurate. She reportedly told PDP members to question how the vote counting process was conducted.
In the recently concluded elections, six candidates from the administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas made it to the Magic 12.
