In a seemingly never-ending thread of word war between the two highest officials of the country, particularly on the matter of patriotism where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated he is “pro-Philippines” and tagged Vice President Sara Duterte as “pro-China,” Malacañang has one response up its sleeve for this week’s back and forth.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said that Marcos is a proud Filipino who is proud of the Philippines.

“The President holds his head high and is proud to be pro-Philippines,” she said.

She also echoed Marcos’ strong remarks that the Philippines “will not yield even an inch of the Philippines.”

“A true Filipino sings the National Anthem with dignity; uttering the words, ‘Ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo,’” she said.

Castro quoted National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal’s famous line: “Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika ay masahol pa sa hayop at malansang isda (He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and a smelly fish),” indirectly referring to Duterte’s personal message to the People’s Republic of China during their 73rd founding anniversary in 2022.

The Palace official also issued criticism against the Vice President without directly naming her.

“What more can be said of a Filipino and a leader who admits to not loving their own country, what could their scent be? That's all,” she said.

On Tuesday, Duterte said she is neither “pro-China” nor “pro-Philippines” but insisted on maintaining the same level of relations with other countries.

These statements stemmed from the Vice President’s queries about the independent foreign policy implemented by Marcos, which seems to “favor” the United States.

Malacañang, in response, said that the Vice President and her family are “pro-China,” as former President Rodrigo Duterte enhanced Manila and Beijing ties.

Castro also highlighted that the visible police presence on the streets, supported by modern surveillance technologies such as CCTV cameras and drones, remains essential for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to effectively fulfill its peacekeeping responsibilities and uphold public order.

She came to the defense of the PNP following Vice President Sara Duterte’s remarks criticizing the use of “outdated” police visibility methods.

Citing a recent statement from PNP Chief Police General Nicolas Torre III, Castro said that an in-person police presence remains crucial in ensuring community safety, especially in public areas.

“The Vice President is welcome to come and visit us, and we are more than happy to show her how important the deployment of our policemen in key areas in our quick response team,” Castro said, quoting Torre.

Castro also echoed Torre's remarks, emphasizing that modern technologies such as drones and CCTV cameras have been fully integrated into police operations, significantly improving the PNP’s quick response capabilities.