President Marcos has wished Vice President Sara Duterte “good luck” in her planned 2028 presidential bid, as Malacañang said she has more to apologize for than helping him win in 2022.

Presidential Communication Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said this after Duterte announced her plans to run for the presidency in 2028.

In her press briefing, Castro said the President simply responded “good luck” after hearing of Duterte’s declaration that she intends to run for president in 2028.

“Nadinig niya po at ang sabi niya po ay good luck. Iyon lamang po (He heard it, and he said ‘good luck.’ That’s all),” she said Wednesday, Feb. 18.

However, she could not say whether Marcos was sincere or not.

“Kapag po kasi nagsasabi si Pangulo ng good luck, nakangiti naman siya eh. So, kung sarcastic ito o hindi ay hindi ko masasabi (When the President says ‘good luck,’ he is smiling. So whether it was sarcastic or not, I cannot say),” Castro said.

Castro went on to enumerate what she said were issues Duterte should apologize for, instead of her supposed role in electing Marcos as President, among others, she listed in her Wednesday morning media statement. This includes alleged misuse of confidential funds, fake news, and the alleged extrajudicial killings during the previous administration.

“Mas dapat niyang inunang humingi ng tawad sa taumbayan lalong-lalo na sa mga biktima ng EJK (She should have first apologized to the people, especially to the victims of EJK),” she said.

She also cited alleged fake student vouchers amounting to around P200 million, undelivered school materials, and supposedly spoiled and rotten food delivered to students.

“Marami pa po siyang dapat na ihingi ng tawad (She still has many things to apologize for),” Castro said.

The Palace Press Officer likewise addressed Vice President Duterte’s remarks, expressing regret and asking forgiveness for helping him win the presidency.

Asked whether the President felt the same way about having Duterte as his running mate, Castro shared that she did not believe that was the case.

“Malamang hindi naman po alam ng Pangulo na ang kaniyang magiging bise presidente ay puro bakasyon; bise presidente na hindi siya tutulungan; bise presidente na ang magiging trabaho ay manira sa gobyerno (Perhaps the President did not know that his vice president would be always on vacation; a vice president who would not help him; a vice president whose job would be to attack the government),” she said.

“Hindi naman niya pagsisisihan kung ano ang nangyari; ang gagawin lamang po ng Pangulo ay magtrabaho (He will not regret what happened; the President will simply continue to work),” she added.

Castro rejected Duterte’s apology for helping elect Marcos, saying the people—not a single individual—put the President in office.

“Tandaan po natin, ang taumbayan ang naghalal kay Pangulong Marcos Jr. (Let us remember, it was the people who elected President Marcos Jr.),” she said.

“Kung anuman po ang natulong niya, pareho naman po silang nagtulungan dahil ito ay UniTeam kaya huwag niya pong solohin ang credit kung nanalo man ang Pangulo (Whatever help she gave, they both helped each other because it was UniTeam, so she should not claim the credit alone if the President won),” she added.

The Palace official likewise noted that Filipinos can now differentiate a working president “compared to the Vice President.”

On Duterte’s claim that she could not be part of a 2025 budget allegedly “riddled with corruption”) Castro said the Vice President should first address issues hounding her offices.

“Siguro po dapat mauna muna na ihingi niya ng tawad kung anuman ang mga isyu ng korapsiyon at katiwalian at diumanong paglulustay ng confidential funds ng kaniyang dalawang opisina at that time – OVP at ng DepEd (Perhaps she should first apologize for whatever issues of corruption and alleged misuse of confidential funds in her two offices at that time — the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education),” she said.

She added that any impeachment complaint stemmed from Duterte’s own actions.

“Kung wala naman siyang ginawa na mga maanomalya at labag sa Konstitusyon, hindi naman po siguro siya masasampahan ng mga impeachment complaints (If she did not commit any anomalies or acts against the Constitution, then she would probably not face impeachment complaints),” Castro said.

Responding to insinuations about flooding and governance failures, Castro cited thousands of flood control projects under the previous administration led by former president Rodrigo Duterte.

“Ilan po bang flood control projects mayroong itinatag diumano ang kaniyang ama? 13,917 na flood control projects na mukhang hindi naramdaman (How many flood control projects were supposedly established by her father? 13,917 flood control projects that apparently were not felt),” she said.

Castro then listed major typhoons from 2016 to 2021 — including Urduja, Ompong, Tisoy, Ambo, Rolly, Ulysses, Odette, and Agaton — that also caused widespread flooding, as well as reports of flooding in Davao City even without a typhoon.

“Hindi pupuwedeng magmalinis na walang nangyaring pagbabaha sa panahon ng kaniyang ama (She cannot pretend that there was no flooding during her father’s time),” she said.

Asked whether the administration was open to an alliance with the opposition in 2028, Castro said this was not being discussed yet.

However, she drew a distinction between a “politician” and a “statesman.”

“Ang politician, ang iniisip ay ang susunod na eleksyon; ang statesman, ang iniisip ay ang susunod na henerasyon (A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman thinks of the next generation),” Castro said.

“Isa siya (Duterte) na maituturing na politician — politician na ang iniisip ay ang susunod na eleksyon, ang iniisip ay iyong pansarili na interes, hindi ang taumbayan (She can be considered a politician — a politician who thinks of the next election, who thinks of personal interest, not the people),” she added.