Palace exec on Duterte: He's known for creating rumors, planting evidence

Newly appointed Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro on Monday accused former President Rodrigo Duterte of merely creating rumors and planting evidence. 

Palace reporters asked Castro for reaction to the statement of Duterte that his successor, President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr., might not cede power when his term ends in 2028.

Castro then asked what was Duterte's evidence for his claim, noting the former chief executive had admitted that he was an ''expert'' in making intrigues. 

''Ang una kong sinabi diyan noon, anong ebidensya, paano mapapatunayan? Tatlo lang ang sinabi ko hindi tayo puwedeng maniwala sa mga pang-iintriga lamang na walang ebidensya at ito naman siguro naman eh natatandaan ninyo na noong panahon ni dating Pangulong Duterte, inamin niya, fiscal pa lang siya, expert na siya sa pang-intriga at pagplanta ng ebidensya,'' Castro said. 

(The first thing I said before was, what's the evidence? How can we prove it? I said three things and one of them was we shouldn't believe in intrigues that have no evidence and maybe you can recall during the time of former President Duterte, he admitted that when he was a fiscal, he was an expert in making intrigues and planting evidence.) 

''Siguro naman napatunayan na natin 'yan sa panahon ni senator Leila de Lima so ano pa ba ang ating ie-expect sa dating Pangulong Duterte? Gumawa ng intriga, magplanta ng ebidensya,'' he added. 

(We have proven that in the case of senator Leila de Lima and what can we expect from the former President? Making intrigues and planting of evidence.) 

She also said the Dutertes want to regain position and power in the government.

''So alam na natin kung saan ang punta nila, gusto nila ulit makuha ang power, ang authority, ang position,'' Castro said. 

(We know where they are headed to, they want to regain power, authority, and position.)

Duterte earlier said Marcos might impose martial law like his late father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., to guarantee a no-election situation and extend his stay in Malacañang. 

Duterte further said political opponents also want to remove his daughter, Vice President Sara Dutert, this early in order to eliminate her as a possible candidate in the 2028 presidential race.

Over the weekend, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin dismissed the latest tirades of Duterte as merely a “tall tale” from a “tyrant who did not respect the rights of the people.”

Bersamin said Duterte’s claim was just another “budol” or deception “emerging from a one-man fake-news factory.”

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero also disagreed with the statement of Duterte, saying it is not only inconsistent but irrational and untrue.

"When their accusation that PBBM was a weak leader who was not in control did not fly, now they are accusing him of the exact opposite and now supposedly has dictatorial tendencies. It is not only inconsistent but also irrational and untrue," he said in a statement Monday.

He added that he has known the President for over a decade and have had the privilege of working closely with him for nearly a year now "and I can say with certainty that I do not subsrcribe to FPRRD’s statement because I simply do not see it and cannot infer nor believe it from PBBM’s attitude, outlook and work ethic.—AOL, GMA Integrated News