New PCO officer Castro dismisses Duterte's gold reserves claim as "campaign joke"

On her first press briefing, PCO press officer Atty. Claire Castro slammed former President Rodrigo Duterte's claim that President Marcos steals and sells the government's gold reserves, suggesting it might be another "campaign joke." She assured the public that the government takes such allegations seriously but stated that no legal action would be pursued against Duterte. Castro emphasized that selling gold reserves is a routine financial activity, contradicting Duterte’s accusations. Meanwhile, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas defended its gold transactions as part of an "active management strategy."