Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro denied Vice President Sara Duterte’s allegation that the government has abandoned her office, stating, “No one abandoned her, maybe she’s the one who left the government.”

Castro’s remark came after Duterte’s comments in Hong Kong on Sunday where she thanked supporters for backing the Office of the Vice President, claiming that the government had “abandoned” the OVP.

Duterte, who had earlier resigned as Education secretary, expressed her gratitude to her supporters for their loyalty.

Castro responded by accusing Duterte’s camp of trying to portray the OVP as a victim, adding that Duterte had been given many opportunities to address the allegations of corruption and misuse of funds at congressional hearings but she had repeatedly skipped them.

Castro likened the situation to a student defending their thesis, stressing that Duterte was not prohibited from defending her OVP budget.

Regarding Duterte’s recent comments about not endorsing candidates in the upcoming midterm elections, Castro questioned her honesty, pointing to campaign ads in which Duterte appeared to endorse Senator Ronald dela Rosa.

Castro also rebuked Duterte’s claim of being “scammed” by the UniTeam, suggesting that it was the other way around and that Duterte’s spending of P125 million in confidential funds raised concerns.

Castro further discussed the strained relationship between Duterte and President Marcos, pointing to their differing political views and Duterte’s resistance to certain administration policies, particularly regarding the continuation of the war on drugs.

She also referenced Duterte’s alleged involvement in an assassination plot against Marcos and others.

Duterte, who has hinted she would run for president in 2028, has yet to publicly announce her plans.

However, Castro’s statements reflect the growing tension between the two political figures and within the government.