President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. was not involved in the supposed deal between Vice President Sara Duterte and Senator Imee Marcos to facilitate the return of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said Friday.

In a press conference, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro was asked how Malacañang interprets the Vice President’s remark that she brings the President’s sister along wherever she goes, as the latter would be the one to facilitate her father’s return to the Philippines.

"Ito ba iyong binanggit niya na hostage niya, si Senator Imee Marcos? Ang Pangulo ay walang partisipasyon sa kanilang naging kasunduan (Is this the one where she mentioned that she has Senator Imee Marcos as a hostage? The President has no participation in their agreement)," Castro said, noting that the President was not even aware of the details of the said deal.

"The President is not privy to the contract or agreement between a user and a person willing to be used. Walang kinalaman ang Pangulo sa kontratang kanilang pinasukan, iyong isang tao na manggagamit at isang taong willing magpagamit (The President has nothing to do with the contract they entered into between someone who takes advantage and someone who is willing to be used)," Castro added.

The former president is currently in the custody of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, facing allegations related to his administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

Senator Imee Marcos accompanied the Vice President on her personal trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she called for support for Duterte at an event with overseas Filipino workers during an Independence Day celebration.

In her speech at the event, Sara said her ally, Imee, would bring her father home.

"Kung saan man ako pumupunta, dinadala-dala ko siya. Kasi sinasabi ko sa kanya: 'Hindi ako ang magbabalik kay dating Pangulong Duterte sa Pilipinas. Dahil ang kapatid mo ang nagpadala sa kanya sa Hague, ikaw ang magbabalik sa kanya sa Pilipinas' (Wherever I go, I always bring her with me. Because I always tell her: 'I won't be the one to bring former President Duterte back to the Philippines. Since it was your brother who sent him to The Hague, you will be the one to bring him back')," she said, which Castro refuted, denying any involvement by the President.

Castro stressed that the President remains focused on his official duties, adding that another pressing issue, such as the power crisis in Siquijor province, has also demanded his attention.

"Ang nais lang po natin sana ay ang Pangulo po kasi ang sinabi niya ay tuloy-tuloy siya sa kanyang pagtatrabaho, focus sa trabaho. Nadagdag pa nga po ang problema dito sa Siquijor. At kung ang Bise Presidente lamang sana ay nakipag-usap sa kanyang kaibigan, baka hindi pa dumaan at dumating sa krisis na ito sa Siquijor (What we simply want is for the President to continue focusing on his work, as he has said himself. In fact, the problem in Siquijor has added to his responsibilities. And if only the Vice President had communicated with her friend, this crisis in Siquijor might have been avoided)," she further stressed.

President Marcos earlier gave government agencies and the electricity provider a six-month deadline to resolve the power crisis in Siquijor province, expressing dismay over what he described as an “unacceptable” power situation on the island.

On Tuesday, he visited the island province to personally address the worsening power crisis, which has left residents enduring prolonged outages.

Some households receive as little as two to five hours of electricity daily.

The Siquijor Island Power Cooperative (SIPCOR), the province’s power supplier, is owned by the Villar Group of Companies.

The Vice President supported Senator-elect Camille Villar’s senatorial bid during the midterm elections, despite Villar running under the administration coalition Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas.