Reacting to a recent political ad of Senator Imee Marcos featuring Vice President Sara Duterte portraying the country’s current situation as “black,” Malacañang suggested the “darkness” may be more reflective of the previous Duterte administration.

“When we say the color now is ‘black,’ it might be more accurate to describe the previous administration as pitch black, while today things are slowly brightening. It’s not yet fully white, but we’re heading in that direction,” said Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro in Filipino in a press briefing on Tuesday.

Imee’s ad, a wordplay on “ITIM” (black) which stands for “Ipaglalaban Tayo ni Imee Marcos,” described the Philippines as hungrier and more unjust under the current administration. The ad referenced recent hunger survey results and incidents of crime. According to Imee, the concept for the ad came from VP Duterte.

In defense, Castro cited official statistics showing a decline in poverty under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. which contradicts the bleak narrative.

“Let’s remember that according to records, the poverty incidence dropped to 15.5 percent in 2023 from 18.1 percent in 2021,” she said, citing Philippine Statistics Authority data.

Hunger figures up — DSWD

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) pointed out that hunger figures may have risen in 2024 due to external factors such as the six typhoons, inflation, and family-level economic shocks.

Despite these challenges, DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said the government continues to provide safety nets, including the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations.

Dumlao acknowledged that the effects of the government aid programs may take time to be reflected in national surveys but reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to fighting hunger and poverty.

Crime rates lower

On the issue of crime, Castro refuted claims of worsening lawlessness, citing data submitted to the Senate that showed current crime rates were lower than during the Duterte administration.

“Let’s remember that crime statistics released recently — and confirmed by Senate President Chiz Escudero — showed that crime is actually lower now compared to the previous administration,” Castro noted.

The data submitted to the Senate showed there were 196,518 reported crimes from July 2016 to April 2018, compared to 71,544 from July 2022 to April 2024 — a 60-percent decrease.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) attributed perceptions of rising crime to social media and sensationalized news.

“We can only speak based on our data,” said PNP director for Police Community Relations Maj. Gen. Roderick Augustus Alba.

“From January to April 2025, crime dropped by 26 percent compared to the same period last year. While some crimes may be sensationalized, they don’t represent the overall situation,” he added.

Alba said the PNP remains focused and unaffected by negative portrayals, and continues its efforts to ensure public safety.

Marcos against negative campaigning

Undersecretary Castro also reminded the public that President Marcos is firmly against misinformation and negative campaigning.

“Our President has long stood against fake news. It’s specially harmful when falsehoods are used as a narrative during a campaign,” she said.

Senator Imee Marcos has since left the administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas coalition, citing her disagreement over the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.