President Marcos is confident despite attempts to link him to the widespread flood control corruption because he knows that when he ordered the investigation, it was to serve the nation and not for personal gain, Malacañang said.

"Magiging confident ang isang tao kapag alam niya na ang ginagawa niya ay para sa bayan at hindi pansarili lamang tulad ng iba diyan (A person becomes confident when they know that what they are doing is for the country, not for personal gain like some others)," Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said on Thursday, Oct. 16.

It came as a rebuttal to Vice President Sara Duterte's statement, questioning why Marcos was so sure that the flood control corruption scandal would not reach the Office of the President.

On Wednesday, Marcos asserted that he has nothing to hide in the ongoing investigation on the massive flood control mess. He even tagged attempts to link him into corruption allegations as politically motivated.

"I am confident because I know what we did or did not do," Marcos said, responding to claims that the corruption probe would eventually lead to his doorsteps. "I'm confident that whatever mud might be slung at the administration, that we will be able to show that these are politically motivated and do not actually have any validation in fact."

Castro reiterated that it was Marcos who ordered the investigation on the multi-billion flood control anomalies, stressing that the President was brave enough to expose and investigate a massive corruption during his own term.

"Huwag kalimutan na ang Pangulo ang naging susi para masawata at maiwasan ang paggawa ng anomalya. 'Yan ang ating Pangulo, matapang at  taas noo sa mga sinasabi. Hindi natakot na magpaimbestiga na hindi ginawa ng nakaraang administrasyon (Let’s not forget that the President has been instrumental in stopping and preventing irregularities. That is our President, brave and proud of his words. He did not hesitate to allow investigations, something the previous administration failed to do)," Castro said.

"Pero ang taong may kasalanan sa bayan ay takot sumagot at  palaging umiiwas ipaalam sa mamamayan ang tunay na ginawa niya laban sa bayan. Worse, siya pang malakas manira ng gobyerno kahit wala siyang maipakitang sariling accomplishments (But those who have wronged the nation are the ones afraid to answer and always avoid telling the people the truth about what they did against the country. Worse, they are the loudest in criticizing the government, even though they have no real accomplishments to show)," Castro added.

Castro bellied the Vice President's allegation that the President initiated the Charter Change in 2023 in an attempt to stay in power.

She said it was yet another speculation coming from the Vice President that would potentially mislead the public.

"Kung puro haka-haka lang,  wala talaga tayong makukuhang matinong sagot sa issue. Maraming malolokong mga kababayan natin sa maling kwento niya (If everything is based only on speculation, we will never get any sensible answers to the issue. Many of our fellow citizens will be misled by his false narratives)," Castro said.

"Hindi niya makakayang i-connect ang plano noon na People's Initiative dahil si Pangulong Marcos, Jr., mismo ang nagsabi noong February, 2023 na ang Charter change ay hindi priority ng administrasyon (She cannot possibly connect the plan back then to the people’s initiative because President Marcos Jr. himself said in February 2023 that Charter change was not a priority of his administration)," Castro added.

She cited the President's statement in February 2023, where he was quoted saying, "There are so many other things that we need to do first that we can achieve kung makukuha naman natin yung gusto but within the way the Constitution is written. But for me, lahat itong pinag-uusapan kaya nating gawin na hindi palitan ang Saligang Batas (all of these discussion can be done without changing the Constitution)."

Castro also pointed out that it was the Duterte allies who were actually pushing for Charter Change in the past.