Claire Castro vows to be bolder in fight vs fake news, destabilizers

MANILA, Philippines — Palace press officer Claire Castro on Monday said she will become bolder in defending the Marcos administration from fake news peddlers and destabilizers.

She made the remarks following Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Lino Cayeteno’s support of her “combative style” in defending the administration and countering attacks against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

READ: Claire Castro stays; she’s a ‘treasure in this gov’t’ – PCO Sec. Cayetano

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“Hanggat mayroon pong gumagawa ng mali, hangga’t may gumagawa ng fake news, hanggat may naninira sa gobyerno nang walang basehan, mas tatapang pa po tayo,” Castro said in an interview at Radyo Pilipinas Cagayan de Oro.

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(As long as there are people doing wrong, as long as there are people spreading fake news, and as long as there are people making baseless attacks against the government, we will only get bolder)

“Hindi pwedeng ikibit balikat lang ang nakikita natin, nadidinig natin na fake news kasi hindi lang po ang Pangulo ang nasisira dito, hindi lang po ang gobyerno, pati po ang kaisipan ng mga kababayan natin,” she added.

(We cannot simply shrug off the fake news we see and hear because it is not just the President or the government being ruined here, but also the minds of our fellow countrymen)

In a media interview last week, Cayetano confirmed that Castro will remain as the administration’s chief mouthpiece following the courtesy resignations of appointees under the previous PCO leadership.

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He said Castro is a “treasure in this government” and that he supports her combative style during press briefings and interviews.

“Nakakataba po ng puso na isang Secretary Lino Cayetano ang makakapag-obserba or bigay ng ganoong klaseng opinyon sa nakikita niyan ginagawa nating trabaho,” Castro said, reacting to the “treasure” comment.

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(It is truly heartening that someone like Secretary Lino Cayetano would take notice—or offer such an opinion—regarding the work we are doing.)

“Pero sa totoo po, lahat po, lahat po ng parte ng PCO, lahat po ng nagtatrabaho katulad ninyo, lahat tayo na public servant na para sa gobyerno at para sa taong-bayan ang ginagawa, lahat po tayo treasure,” she also said.

(But in truth, everyone—every part of the PCO, everyone working here just like you, all of us public servants who work for the government and for the people—each and every one of us is a treasure.)

Castro was appointed undersecretary of the PCO and Palace press officer on February 24, 2025, alongside then-PCO Secretary Jay Ruiz.

Ruiz was replaced by Dave Gomez in July 2025.

Gomez served as PCO chief for one year and three months before Cayetano replaced him in October 2026.

Before Castro, Daphne Oseña-Paez served as the Marcos administration’s primary press briefer from December 2022 to January 2025. She was the first person to hold the role.

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In addition to conducting daily media briefings and issuing statements, Castro runs a personal YouTube channel with more than 643,000 subscribers. /mr