Malacañang questioned the authenticity of alleged text exchanges between President Marcos and a former official linking them to kickbacks in flood control projects, saying it has seen no evidence to support the claims.

In a press briefing on Friday, Feb. 13, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Palace cannot respond definitively to reports about supposed communications because no actual material has been presented.

“Wala pa rin po kaming nakita (We still have not seen anything),” she said when asked about the alleged messages between Marcos and former Presidential Legislative Liaison Office undersecretary Adrian Bersamin.

She added that the government cannot be expected to provide answers without proof of the communications being cited.

“Papaano po natin mabibigyan ng tamang kasagutan… kung wala naman po tayong nakikita (How can we provide a proper answer if we have not seen anything)?” she said.

Castro reiterated that accusations tying the President to alleged kickbacks have no factual basis, pointing to earlier congressional proceedings.

“Sa ngayon po, ang anumang pinapahid na isyu ng korapsiyon sa Pangulo ay atin pong pinasisinungalingan (At present, we deny any corruption issue being attributed to the President),” she said.

“Ang anumang paninira nang walang anumang basehan ay hindi dapat magamit na armas para pahinain ang tiwala ng taumbayan sa ating gobyerno (Any attack without basis should not be used as a weapon to weaken public trust in government),” she added.

Asked whether former appointees should publicly address the accusations, Castro said the administration supports transparency but cannot compel individuals to speak.

“Hindi po natin mapipilit kung sinuman ang gustong magsalita at ayaw magsalita (We cannot force anyone who wants to speak or not to speak),” she said.

The Palace Press Officer said potential investigations into allegations fall under the jurisdiction of appropriate institutions, not Malacañang.

“Kung anuman po ang dapat naming imbestigahan, iyan po ay ibinibigay na po sa kamay ng Ombudsman, DOJ at ng ICI (Whatever must be investigated has been placed in the hands of the Ombudsman, Department of Justice, and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure),” she said.

Castro noted that the administration is focused on economic priorities moving forward.

Responding to Vice President Duterte’s claim that the President committed impeachable offenses, Castro urged her to address her own legal issues first.

“Unahin niya po muna iyong mga kaso niya bago niya tingnan ang kaso ng iba (She should address her own cases first before looking at others),” Castro said.

She likewise dismissed Duterte’s criticisms regarding other allegations.

“Unahin niya po ang sarili niya at siguro mas maganda itanong niya iyan sa kaniyang ama (She should focus on herself first and perhaps ask her father about that),” Castro said.