Jog, don’t run, Claire tells Harry

Palace press officer, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro, on Wednesday, took a swipe anew against former Palace spokesperson Harry Roque on the latter’s remark on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s jogging and jumping jacks on Monday to show that he is healthy and not suffering from any illness.

Roque, in a Facebook post on Monday, said that instead of running for a certain number of meters, the President should show a medical bulletin.

“For the President, he simply wants to show his supporters and the public his true health condition, to set aside the falsehoods that are currently circulating against him,” Castro said.

Further, the Palace spokesperson stressed that there is nothing wrong with running.

“Running is not wrong. It is far better to run a few meters than to run from the long arm of the law. And let us remember—even during the previous administration, the President was absent for weeks, yet what did his allies and supporters say?” she said.

Castro then showed art cards quoting former Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella, who stated, “As far as I can see, there’s really no need to do that. Release Duterte’s health records, while Roque was quoted in saying, “I don’t think the people should worry about lack of transparency because the President himself will say what his condition is.”

Talk, don’t snub

Castro also hit Vice President Sara Duterte for her repeated snubbing of the impeachment hearings in the House of Representatives.

Castro also did not let pass the petition filed by the United People’s Initiative, asking the Supreme Court to order the President to undergo a hair-follicle drug test to set the record straight.

Castro showed a news article, quoting a jurisprudence of the SC to mandate the President to show medical records, which states: “Apparently, the petition has an allegation that the President is seriously ill, which is unsubstantiated and is based merely on petitioner’s surmises and conjectures regarding his perception of the declining health of the President,” referring to President Duterte at that time.

Castro maintained that the President has been transparent and has not been hiding anything regarding his health condition.