Garbage In, Garbage Out!” VP Sara Blasts Palace’s Claire Castro Over First Lady Row

A public dispute between Vice President Sara Duterte and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro has intensified, with the Vice President responding harshly to accusations that she spread fake news about First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos. The controversy erupted following Duterte's comments regarding a purported drug-related incident involving the First Lady in the United States.

The issue began when Vice President Duterte, during a public statement, alleged that the First Lady had been involved in a drug-related incident while abroad. Duterte suggested that this was the real reason behind the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, claiming that the arrest was orchestrated to divert public attention from the alleged involvement of the First Lady in the drug scandal.

This bold claim quickly sparked a response from Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, who denied the accusations and asserted that there was no truth to the Vice President’s statements. Castro emphasized that the Vice President's claim was baseless, pointing to the fact that the First Lady had already been in the Philippines since March 10.

Furthermore, she noted that on March 11, Liza Araneta-Marcos had attended an official event with representatives from the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, which made it impossible for her to have been involved in any incident abroad around that time.

Castro's swift and firm denial only fueled the fire, prompting Vice President Duterte to launch a strong rebuttal. Duterte criticized not only Castro but also her cousin, Representative France Castro, known for her own outspoken political views. In a fiery statement, Duterte remarked, “Lagi ko namang sinasabi huwag na tayong makinig kay Claire Castro at sa pinsan niya na si France Castro dahil nga ang kanilang pamilya ay pamilya ng garbage in, garbage out. So, basura lagi ang lumalabas sa bibig" pamilya ng garbage in, garbage out. So, basura lagi ang lumalabas sa bibig"