Kettle black moment

In the world of high-stakes politics, some former Palace insiders love to play the blame game — particularly when it comes to the errors made by Malacañang’s current communications team. But the irony here? This ex-Palace exec is pointing fingers while forgetting her history of high-profile flubs.

According to insiders, this former top official has been vocal lately about the errors committed by the Presidential Communications Office, including an October 2023 blunder that erroneously credited the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. as the last Philippine official to visit Saudi Arabia, claiming it had been 40 years since a Philippine leader last made the trip.

The same official, who was once at the helm of a similar office, has also been vocal about the apparent incompetence of the current transcribers, whom she alleges omit important keywords in their transcripts.

“She was quick to criticize the staff. But she’s conveniently ignoring the blunders that happened right under her watch,” a source privy to the issue said.

“She tends to come clean in a wrong way and blame others for her mistakes, even when there is evidence that she is the one responsible,” the source added.

The former official’s former tenure was rife with mistakes that stirred the public ire. Remember the infamous incident when her agency used the Department of Labor and Employment Philippines logo on a story about the Department of Labor and Employment? Or when they reposted an opinion piece from China’s Xinhua News Agency that criticized the Philippines’ arbitration win over the South China Sea — a move that was widely condemned?

And it doesn’t stop there. “She’s acting like these gaffes are new,” says another insider. “But what about her team’s 2017 missteps, like using a photo of Vietnamese soldiers in a story about Marawi, or reporting that 95 UN member states didn’t recognize the extrajudicial killings in the Philippines?”

Insiders suggest that maybe a little less hypocrisy and a little more self-reflection might be in order: “If she wants to criticize the current team, maybe she should take a look at her past first.”