Malacañan Palace, in a Thursday press briefing, defended President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.’s presence at the destruction of P9.4 billion worth of illegal drugs in Tarlac, saying it was part of his official duties.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro was ostensibly addressing Vice President Sara Duterte’s criticism that the Chief Executive merely poses for photographs.

“Nag-trabaho, nag-utos at binantayan ang pagkasira ng iligal na droga,” she said, also alluding to the Vice President’s own history of personal travels abroad by noting that Marcos "does not go on vacation."

(He worked, gave orders, and oversaw the destruction of the illegal drugs.)

The Palace also pointed out that former President Rodrigo Duterte, Sara Duterte’s father, similarly witnessed the destruction of seized drugs during his administration. Castro presented a printout of a 2020 report showing the elder Duterte at the incineration of over P7 billion worth of substances in Cavite.

“Mas maganda po siguro talaga na pasinayaan at makita mismo ng Pangulo ang pagsira sa mga iligal na droga na ito kaysa po walang gawin sa mga nawalang iligal na droga sa magnetic lifter,” she added, likely referencing a drug-related controversy where the Duterte family was implicated.

(It would probably be much better for the President to personally witness and lead the destruction of these illegal drugs, rather than doing nothing about the illegal drugs that went missing in the magnetic lifters.)