Statements inciting hatred to the government should not come from the second highest official in the country, Malacañang said as it criticized Vice President Sara Duterte's remark during a Mandaue City rally over the weekend.

"Unang-una, nakakalungkot po na mula sa pangalawang pinakamataas na lider ng bansa ay mukha pang nag-i-encourage siya sa mga tao na magalit sa gobyerno (First of all, it is saddening that an encouragement for the people to show anger to the government is coming from the second highest leader of the country)," Palace press officer Claire Castro said in a Palace briefing on Thursday, Feb. 27.

President Marcos, however, did not react to the Vice President's statement, Castro said.

"Noong nalaman po ‘to ng Pangulo ay wala po siyang naging reaksiyon dito dahil hindi nga po ‘to dapat nanggagaling sa pangalawang pinakamataas na lider ng bansa (When the President heard about this, he had no reaction because this statements should not come from the second highest leader of the country)," Castro added.

In a People’s Indignation Rally on Saturday, Feb. 22, in Mandaue City, Duterte was quoted saying: It is the right of the people to show their anger, we have what we call constitutional protection of the freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

The undersecretary further said that President Marcos tends not to promptly react to such remarks, because "perhaps for him it was a worthless suggestion."

"Kilala po natin ang Pangulo hindi siya agad-agad nagri-react sa mga ganito kaya hayaan na lang natin dahil siguro iniisip niya ang suggestion na ito ni VP Sara na okay lang magalit sa gobyerno ay isang napakawalang kuwentang suhestiyon (We know the President, he does not react to these so let us keep it that way, perhaps for him the suggestion of VP Sara that it's okay to show anger to the government is a worthless suggestion)," the Palace official said.

Castro questioned the timing of the Vice President's remarks, considering that she did not make the same statements during the term of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) undersecretary also questioned whether such statement is linked to destabilization effort against the current administration, although she said they have not received any formal information on destabilization.

The Vice President's remark, however, is not yet classified as inciting to sedition but "maybe one step towards that."

'Marcos is not a weak leader'

While Malacañang criticized the Vice President for her statement inciting hatred to the government, Marcos was also consistently taking a swipe at the previous administration and his allies during the proclamation rallies he had been attending for the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate.

Malacañang defended this anew saying they cannot let the other side to keep throwing punches, Marcos must also dodge those attacks.

"Hindi lamang po kasi dapat ang ibang partido o ibang tao ang maaaring magsalita patungkol dito. Karapatan din po ng Pangulo na magsalita kung ano po iyong kaniyang damdamin. Ito naman din po ay para mapakita sa tao kung ano ba iyong katotohanan. Mahirap po na iyong isang parte lang ang sumusuntok, kailangan din po tayong sumangga (It should not only be the other parties or other people who can talk about this. It is also the right of the President to express his sentiments. This is also to show the truth. It is hard if only one side is throwing punches; we also need to defend ourselves)," Castro pointed out.

Castro also stressed that the President's statements during the rallies are based on facts, and he was not pointing at certain people.

"Siguro po, kailangan lang po talaga paminsan-minsan ang ating Pangulo ay maging transparent din siya sa kanyang na saloobin at para po maipahatid din sa mga tao na (Maybe, at times the President needs to be transparent about his sentiments and to show the people that) he is not will never a weak leader," Castro said.