“You are Filipinos. That is not the attitude of Filipinos.”

That was what Palace press officer Claire Castro had to say about a viral video in which she was mobbed by a group of Filipinos while filming a reel for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s visit to Vancouver, Canada.

Castro said they were merely doing their job when the group suddenly approached them and stated their narratives, such as calling for Marcos’ resignation.

She admitted that she felt somewhat threatened given that the incident happened while she was with only one other official from the Malacañang who was filming her for the said content, particularly as she did not know whether the attackers were violent or not.

Avoid rudeness

“We have freedom of expression, but we should not be rude,” she said.

Castro said that they were lucky that there was a group of police officers nearby, given that the group was following them wherever they went.

She noted that such an attitude towards fellow Filipinos could be the reason why progress in the country was stagnating.