Malacañang has slammed sentiments comparing former president Rodrigo Duterte to the late senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., saying there was no basis for the supposed threats to Duterte's life.

Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said this after Vice President Sara Duterte reportedly told her father, who is under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague in The Netherlands, that he would be like Ninoy who was assassinated upon his return to Manila from exile.

"Wala pong katotohanan 'yan (There is no truth to that)," Castro said in a press briefing on Monday, March 24.

The Palace Press Officer wondered where the supposed threat came from.

"Saan kukuha yung mga threats? As a matter of fact, hanggang ngayon yung sinasabing threats kay VP Sara hindi pa rin po naipapakita sa NBI at saka sa PNP (Where are these threats coming from? As a matter of fact, even the so-called threats against Vice President Sara Duterte haven't been presented to the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police yet)," she said.

"Kailangan po natin kasi ng mga materyales, ng mga ebidensya, bago po magsagawa ng ganitong mga klaseng statements (There has to be materials, evidence, before making these kinds of statements)," she added.

According to Castro, former president Duterte should not be compared to the late senator Aquino as they had nothing alike, especially regarding the issues they were linked to.

"Napakalayo pong ipakumpara ang sarili o ikumpara ang dating pangulong Duterte, kay Ninoy Aquino na hindi nagkaroon ng anumang record ng mass murder or crimes against humanity (It is far too much to compare former president Duterte to Ninoy Aquino, who never had any record of mass murder or crimes against humanity)," she said.

Castro pointed out that Duterte had compared himself to the late dictator Adolf Hitler.

"Meron po siyang sinabi mismo (He said it himself), and I quote, 'Hitler massacred 3 million—' actually, it's supposed to be 6 million Jews. 'Now there is 3 million, what is it? 3 million drug addicts in the Philippines? There are. I'd be happy to slaughter them. At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have me,'" she recalled.

"Mas ninais po ni dating pangulong Duterte na ikumpara ang sarili nya kay Hitler (So former president Duterte preferred to compare himself to Hitler)," she added.

What dignity?

Castro also rejected social media posts that Duterte gave the Marcoses the dignity to come back but the President instead gave Duterte the death sentence when the government surrendered him to the ICC.

"Ang nagpabalik po kay Pangulong Marcos ay ang taong bayan po. Hindi po iisang tao (President Marcos' comeback was the will of the people, not of one person)," she said.

"Pinakita po ni Pangulong Marcos kung ano ang kaya kakayanan niya (President Marcos showed the people what he could do)," she added.

Castro recalled that Duterte once called Marcos a weak leader.

"Hindi po ba mismo ang dating pangulong Duterte ang hindi naniniwala kay Pangulong Marcos (Wasn't it former president Duterte who did not believe in President Marcos)? He even said that PBBM is a weak leader," she said.

"Papaano niya masasabi na inangat niya ang dignidad ni Pangulong Marcos kung siya mismo dati ang nagbababa rito (How can they that former president Duterte raised President Marcos' dignity when he was the one who pulled him down)?" she added.

Resign?

Castro likewise responded to the calls of Filipinos in the Netherlands for President Marcos to resign, a sentiment that Vice President Duterte distanced herself from.

According to Castro, the calls for Marcos' resignation have no basis.

"Sasabihin po ba na walang kakayanang mamuno? Paano po natin masasabi ito? Kung ang pinapairal po natin ay ang batas. At very transparent po tayo sa anumang mga transaksyon (How can they say that he cannot lead when we are implementing the law? And we have been transparent about our transactions)," she said.

Castro took a jab at Duterte, saying a person with many secrets cannot lead.

"Hindi po mas kakayanin ng isang tao na mamuno na maraming inililihim, maraming itinatago, at hindi nagpapakita ng anumang dokumento more particularly about the funds (A person cannot lead if she's keeping many secrets and cannot present any document related to funds)," she said.

With this, Castro urged the Vice President anew to clarify her use of funds, especially following the discovery of more dubious names in the list of the recipients of her confidential funds.

"We believe that VP Sara has the obligation to tell something about this—to tell something about these discoveries," she said.

"So mas mabuti po, sinasabi naman po niya na dapat po tayo ay may transparency, mas maganda po na mauna po siya na ipaliwanag ito (Since she's pushing for transparency, it would be better if she's the first to explain)," she added.