Castro rebuts Padilla’s ‘balat-sibuyas’ tag
Castro maintained that the issue was never about hurt feelings but about the conduct displayed during the confrontation.
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Daily TribuneCastro maintained that the issue was never about hurt feelings but about the conduct displayed during the confrontation.
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Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Monday rejected Senator Robin Padilla’s description of her as “balat sibuyas” or onion-skinned, saying the Palace media team never filed a complaint or sought to publicize an incident involving protesters during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent visit to Canada.
Castro said she deliberately chose not to report the confrontation and did not inform Philippine officials in Canada because she had no intention of escalating the matter.
“I did not report it. I did not immediately let it be known because I did not plan to make it known,” Castro said in Filipino.
The incident surfaced only after videos posted online showed protesters confronting members of the Palace media team while Castro and a Presidential Communications Office officer were preparing to film a video.
The protesters, some carrying placards and a megaphone, were heard chanting for Marcos to resign while others shouted insults at Castro.
Despite the disruption, Castro said the team simply moved to another location and completed the video.
“Nothing happened after that. We went straight to another venue to finish our video shoot and present the highlights of what the President did in Canada,” she said.
She stressed that neither the Palace media team nor Philippine diplomatic officials filed a complaint, adding that the videos circulating online were uploaded by the protesters themselves.
“We did not get the video. The video came from them,” Castro said.
Responding to Padilla’s criticism, Castro said the senator should first understand the circumstances before labeling anyone as overly sensitive.
“It would be better if Senator Robin Padilla knew the whole story before calling anyone ‘balat sibuyas,’” she said.
Castro maintained that the issue was never about hurt feelings but about the conduct displayed during the confrontation.
She also criticized public officials who normalize offensive language and threats.
“If we tolerate that, what message does it send to the youth? Is it acceptable to curse people and wish for their deaths?” Castro said.
