Malacañang on Thursday questioned the seriousness of Vice President Sara Duterte’s camp after her spokesperson said she was ready to assume the presidency should President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. resign.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the remark in response to a report that lawyer Paolo Panelo, Duterte’s spokesperson, said the Vice President was prepared to replace Marcos if he stepped down.

“Kaya ba nila agad-agad na pinag-re-resign ang Pangulo (Is that why they are calling for the President’s immediate resignation)?” Castro said in a Palace briefing.

She then questioned whether the Vice President’s camp was serious about the prospect of her assuming the presidency.

“Normal at natural ito sa mga kaalyado at alagad ng Bise Presidente, pero kung kakayanin niya sa ngayon na pumalit kay Pangulong Marcos Jr., seryoso ba ito (This is normal and natural for the Vice President’s allies and supporters, but the question of whether she is capable of taking over from President Marcos Jr. right now, is that serious)?” she said.

Castro then reiterated that the Vice President camp’s call for the President to step down is “absolutely delusional.”

The exchange comes as Duterte faces separate legal and political proceedings, including an impeachment case before the Senate and a criminal case involving three counts of grave threats.

Panelo Remarks

Castro also responded to Panelo’s statement that she was “difficult to take seriously” and that Duterte’s camp was not focused on answering her statements.

She said the Palace briefings cover not only questions raised by reporters but also government programs, accomplishments, and plans under the Marcos administration.

“Ngayon natin nakita, may pag-amin na hindi sila nakikinig sa ating sinasabi kaya marahil ito ang dahilan kung bakit ang Bise Presidente ay nagmumukhang clueless, walang alam sa anong ginagawa ng administrasyon para sa ating mga kababayan (We have now seen an admission that they do not listen to what we say, perhaps this is the reason why the Vice President appears clueless and unaware of what the administration is doing for our fellow citizens),” she said.

Asked directly about Panelo’s remark that she was difficult to take seriously, Castro said the public could judge the tone of the statement for themselves.

“Kayo mag-isip: may paggalang ba o walang paggalang? Nasa attitude, nasa character. Magandang salita pero sa kaila-ilaliman niyan mababasa ninyo kung ano ang nilalaman (You be the judge: is there respect or not? It comes down to attitude and character. They may be fine words, but deep down, you can discern their true meaning),” she said. (PNA)