Malacañang debunked claims made by Vice President Sara Duterte that the government is not offering help to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in need, tagging Duterte's accusation as "another fake news."

Duterte has called out President Marcos, saying he should focus on checking on “detained, distressed, abandoned or neglected” overseas Filipinos around the world “who have not had the benefit of a single welfare check from the Philippine government.”

Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said there are Migrant Workers Offices established in countries that have a big Filipino population ready to offer help to Filipinos in need.

Thus, she said, all of their needs are being addressed.

Castro said detained, distressed, abandoned or neglected OFWs not getting help from the government "is a big lie."

"So, lahat po ng mga kinakailangan or pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan sa ibang bansa especially the OFWs ay tinutugunan ng ating gobyerno at iyan din po ang nais ng ating Pangulo – lahat ng pangangailangan ng mga OFWs, ng mga kababayan natin na nasa ibang bansa, dapat matugunan agad-agad (So, all the needs and requirements of our fellow citizens abroad, especially the OFWs, are being addressed by our government, and that is also what the President wants—that all the needs of OFWs, of our fellow Filipinos overseas, must be attended to immediately)," Castro said in a Palace briefing on Wednesday, Sept. 24.

The Palace official also noted that the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) record showed they were able to respond to 100 percent of OFWs' concerns.

"At ayon sa record po ng DMW, lahat ng mga humihingi ng tulong sa kanila, one hundred percent nilang natutugunan at may records po sila (And according to the records of the DMW, they are able to respond to one hundred percent of those who ask for help, and they have the records)," Castro said.

"At mayroon din pong quick response team ang DMW, at kung kinakailangan ng rescue at hindi agad sila nakakapasok, humihingi agad sila ng tulong sa mga awtoridad, mga police authority sa nasabing bansa (The DMW also has a quick response team, and if a rescue is needed but they cannot immediately gain access, they promptly seek assistance from the authorities, the police authorities in that country)," Castro added.

"Kaya ito pong binabanggit ng Bise Presidente na walang naitutulong sa mga OFWs (So, this statement by the Vice President that nothing is being done to help OFWs), it is another fake news," she further said.

The Vice President made the statement after expressing strong objection to the supposed “welfare check” conducted by officials of the Philippine Embassy in The Hague on her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, alleging President Marcos for being the one behind the orders.

The Palace, however, did not make a statement over this, saying the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) would be the one answering queries about the supposed welfare check.