Claire Castro says Imee Marcos believers ‘pitiful,’ kept ignorant

MANILA, Philippines — Palace press officer Claire Castro on Wednesday described those who applaud and believe Sen. Imee Marcos’ remarks about the Marcos administration as “pitiful,” saying they do not realize they are being kept “ignorant.”

On Tuesday evening, Marcos delivered a speech at an Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) rally, where she called the government “high on drugs” and “drunk in power.” She also claimed that the administration lacks concern for farmers and fisherfolk.

READ: Castro: Imee Marcos ‘sowing hatred,’ ‘turning a blind eye’ to gov’t work

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“It’s pitiful—it’s pitiful that obstructionists like a certain senator rely on and use fake news just to attack others and spread this kind of misinformation,” Castro said at a briefing.

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“But even more pitiful are the people who applauded while listening to Senator Imee Marcos, because they most likely don’t realize that what she was saying was baseless. It’s sad because they probably don’t know that they’re simply being kept ignorant,” she continued.

Castro also accused the senator of not only spreading fake news but also sowing hatred among the public.

“This isn’t just simple character assassination, and it isn’t merely creating and spreading fake news—it’s the sowing of hatred,” she said.

In a speech in November 2025, also during an INC rally, Sen. Marcos accused her brother of using illegal drugs.

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“When Bongbong and I were just kids, the whole family already knew that he had a problem. In fact, everyone can read my father’s testimony regarding his behavior and activities,” she said.

But Castro noted in a press briefing the same month that the issue of Marcos’ alleged drug use had long been debunked through a drug test.

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In 2021, then-presidential aspirant Marcos underwent a drug test to put to rest speculations after former President Rodrigo Duterte claimed there was a cocaine-using presidential aspirant.

The test, conducted at St. Luke’s Medical Center, showed that Marcos tested negative for cocaine. /mr

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