Palace Press Officer Presidential Communications Secretary Claire Castro did not mince words in lambasting former Environment Secretary and ex-Quezon City representative Mike Defensor, calling him the orchestrator of dirty tricks intended to smear the reputation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., or worse, topple the government.

Castro, in a Palace press briefing, said the alleged involvement of Defensor in the latest multibillion-peso bribery controversy, purportedly masterminded by President Marcos as revealed by 18 supposed ex-Philippine Marines, was suspicious and intended to bring their “poon” (god) to power.

“In all the things they are doing — especially the baseless smear attacks — and considering who may be behind them, these are the same individuals who seek to bring down the government, remove the President from office, and install their own leader,” she said.

Defensor earlier denied that he was behind the press conference held by lawyer Levi Baligod and the 18 Marines in San Juan City a few days ago.

Castro said that Defensor was known as an operator during the term of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

On Thursday, Castro again mentioned Ador Mawanay, a witness who implicated Senator Panfilo Lacson in a controversy in 2011 but who later recanted and said he was only pressured to implicate the lawmaker.

“Thus, Senator Lacson may also be saying this because he himself was previously a victim of a smear campaign with a certain secretary from the so-called “‘dirty tricks department’ involved in the matter,” she said.

Defensor on Friday admitted that he had helped the 18 Marines but said he had not spoken to them face-to-face.