By Inday Espina Varona
Early in Claire Castro’s tenure as spokesperson/press officer of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., I mused that her snark was amusing. But it didn’t take much for her to topple from favorite-taray-prod wielded against Sara Duterte and assorted DDS, to sounding like a DDS herself.
The latter meaning, a de facto posture of perpetual bristling with fangs bared, with knee jerk attacks against the slightest hint of criticism eventually morphing into illogical, hysterical, and outright fanciful defense of her clients.
The signs became glaring during the death of the Tantoco scion due to drug use on the sidelines of an official Liza Marcos trip (his wife, Dina Arroyo — daughter of Gloria Arroyo’s late brother in law, Iggy — is the First Lady’s deputy social secretary).
Marcos officials’ penchant for burying their heads in the sand, and then acting aggrieved when the bomb goes off in their faces, has grown worse since their principal detonated the flood control scandal during his State of the Nation Address.
Castro responded with nonchalance when she was asked to explain exactly what went down with resigned executive secretary Lucas Bersamin. She was almost dismissive: the tenor being, “Nag-usap na sila, quiet na lang tayo.”
She was (rightly) met with a stern reminder from ABS-CBN reporter Kat Domingo: Oh, no, you don’t. You owe the people — who pay your salaries — the answer to their questions.
Every day that passes by with the Malacanang communication mess only makes it harder for its (admittedly) reluctant new supporters to justify their insistence that Marcos Jr, despite his laziness and space cadet ways, is better than Sara Duterte, whose violent language hints at a potential to match or even outdo her brutal father.
But perhaps Castro should only shoulder part of the blame. Comms leads aren’t miracle workers. It’s always a question of principal.
It must been hard to maintain balance when, on the heels of a chorus roaring that nothing Zaldy Co says can be trusted, Panfilo Lacon confirms substantial parts of it.
And overnight, the persons named both by Co and by a Usec appearing before the Senate, were announced as having “resigned for the sake delicadeza.”
They were fired, it is now clear.
Her principals seem incapable to taking the responsible and mature step — facing the people to explain exactly why top officials have been sacked. No wonder Castro is floundering.
Even guys posturing to be serious political analysts end up saying the craziest things — like, why were they fired, that makes the Palace vulnerable! As if the concern was merely for Marcos’ interests and not the interests of a nation robbed.
Boying Remulla has been treating the country to daily updates of what’s to come next.
Even granting that the Ombudsman is just the first step, his more calculated, methodical approach at least offers displays of efficiency — as opposed to the theatrical but ampaw gimmicks of the new public works secretary.
But Marcos is the principal. He needs to face the people.
At the very least, Filipinos deserve to know how the hell the people he appointed to the Cabinet and other high posts ended up cementing — and even expanding on — the corruption established in the time of Duterte. (This, on the presumption that he will continue to posture being white as snow.)
Marcos also needs to wrest control of communications back from the person who gives Castro her behavioral cues.
He needs to bring back the old, sane atmosphere of the Malacanang press office that made the President look, well, kinda presidential, and made his critics give him some nods.
Now, even his supporters sport red faces. #
