The government has no plans to borrow from international lending institutions to fund its response to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, Malacañang said.

In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said the government currently has sufficient funds to implement measures aimed at assisting Filipinos affected by the conflict and amid oil price hikes.

“Sa ngayon po ay wala pong napabanggit patungkol po diyan (At present, nothing has been mentioned about that),” she said Thursday, March 12.

Castro said the matter was clarified with Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Frederick Go, who confirmed that there is no plan to seek foreign loans for the government’s crisis response.

“Yes, po. Sa ngayon po ay hindi pa po napag-iisipan kung uutang po (Yes. As of now, borrowing has not been considered),” she added.

Castro also responded to criticism from Sara Duterte that the administration was supposedly unprepared for the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

According to Castro, the Vice President’s claim that the government should have prepared as early as 2022 raises questions about whether she had prior knowledge of the situation.

“Kung siya’y may alam as early as 2022 at hindi man lang niya ito binanggit diretso sa ating mga kababayan, sino ang hindi nagtrabaho? Sino ang walang ginawa (If she knew as early as 2022 and did not mention it to the public, who did not work? Who did nothing)?” she said.

Castro noted that Duterte and President Marcos were allies under the UniTeam during the 2022 elections and asked whether the Vice President had raised the supposed warning with the administration at the time.

“Kung alam niya na po ito… dapat ipinaalam niya ito agad sa bansa, ipinaalam niya ito agad sa Pangulo at sa awtoridad (If she knew about this, she should have informed the country, the President, and the authorities immediately),” she said.

She also pointed out that the Vice President’s father, Rodrigo Duterte, was the president during the first half of 2022.

Castro added that failing to disclose such information, if true, could amount to “breach of public trust” or government nonfeasance.

The Palace has said the government continues to monitor developments in the Middle East and implement measures to ensure the safety and welfare of overseas Filipino workers in the region.