Malacañang fired back at Vice President Sara Duterte's suggestion to abduct Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co over his alleged involvement in flood control anomalies. 

In an interview on Thursday, Sept. 18, Duterte criticized President Marcos' response to the anomalous flood control projects, saying that the administration is not sincere in its investigation.

She said one example to prove that they do not really have sincerity in the flood control investigation is letting Co leave the country and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez resign from his post.

Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro on Friday hit back at Duterte, saying she was suggesting something "illegal and dangerous."

She questioned whether it should be how a Vice President gives advices. 

"At ang payo niya is pa-kidnap si Zaldy Co, another thing, it’s illegal. So, ganoon ba magbibigay ng suggestion ang isang bise presidente, ang gumawa ng iligal? Delikado iyon (And then her advice is to have Zaldy Co kidnapped—another thing, that’s illegal. So is that how a Vice President gives suggestions? To do something illegal? That’s dangerous)!" Castro said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview. 

The Palace official also clarified that the President cannot prevent a lawmaker from going out of the country as he is not the one issuing a travel authority for members of the House of Representatives.

"[S]abi niya bakit hinayaang magbiyahe? Dapat alam niya bilang bise presidente na ang pagbibiyahe ng mambabatas ay hindi sakop ng Pangulo. Ang nagbibigay ng travel authority niyan ay iyong head nila, so it’s the House Speaker or Senate President, depende. Hindi iyan sakop ng Pangulo, dapat alam niya iyan (First of all, she asked why he was allowed to travel. She should know, as Vice President, that the travel of lawmakers is not under the jurisdiction of the President. The one who grants travel authority is their head—it’s the House Speaker or the Senate President, depending. That’s not within the President’s authority, she should know that," Castro said.

She further said that there was also no hold departure order to stop him.

Castro has once again criticized the Vice President for her frequent personal travels abroad amid issues linking her to corruption.

"[H]indi ba niya natatandaan na mas madalas din siyang magbiyahe at hinahayaan siya ng Office of the President kahit mayroon ding nakabinbin na isyu tungkol sa korapsiyon na parte ng articles of impeachment. So, ano ang pagkakaiba noon? Sa kanya, mayroon nang issues; kay Zaldy Co, iimbestigahan pa lang (Doesn’t she remember that she herself traveled more frequently, and the Office of the President allowed it—even when she had pending issues of corruption included in the articles of impeachment? So what’s the difference? In her case, there were already issues; in Zaldy Co’s case, it’s only under investigation)," Castro pointed out.

The Palace press officer also defended Marcos' sincerity in the ongoing investigation of anomalous flood control projects, reiterating that it was the President who initially exposed the widespread corruption.

"Tandaan natin, ang Pangulo, siya ang nagsimula ng pag-iimbestiga na ito. Mabagal? Dahil inaalam ng Pangulo kung ano ang katotohanan, hindi tulad noong mga nakaraang administrasyon, kailangan ituro lang, iyon, patay agad. Hindi ganoon ang Pangulo (Let us remember, it was the President who initiated this investigation. Slow? That’s because the President wants to determine the truth—unlike in the past administrations where once someone was pointed at, that was it, they are immediately taken down. The President is not like that)," she said.