Bongbong Marcos Jr.
Presidential Communications Office/Facebook

The war of words between Malacañang Palace and Senator Imee Marcos has been upgraded from a family feud to a full-blown political battle, with a top administration official delivering a scathing counter-attack.

Just as the Senator's allegations of President Bongbong Marcos Jr.'s drug use sent shockwaves through the country, Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro immediately rushed to her brother's defence.

READ MORE: Bongbong Marcos Jr. Drug Use Claim: Senator Imee Says Addiction Exacerbated With First Lady Liza

Usec. Castro did not hold back, publicly branding Senator Marcos as 'desperate' and 'shameful' for her comments made against the President at the Iglesia ni Cristo's anti-corruption rally on Monday, 17 November.

The Palace's swift, aggressive response signals an official shift from internal damage control to an open political confrontation, framing the Senator as an opponent rather than a relative.

Usec. Claire Castro Condemns Senator Imee Marcos

The Palace Press Officer wasted no time in condemning the Senator's statements. Usec. Castro called Senator Marcos 'desperate' in the wake of her comments, which alleged that her brother, the President, is a drug user and that his addiction worsened after marrying First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

The officer's immediate reaction framed the Senator's outburst not as an act of familial concern, but as a low political blow.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer, Usec. Claire Castro, is a lawyer with significant trial and media experience, making her a formidable figure in defending the administration.

She previously served as a radio host and podcaster before assuming her role in February 2025. Her retention as Palace Press Officer in July 2025, confirmed by PCO Secretary Dave Gomez, highlighted her role as the President's official spokesperson tasked with pushing back against disinformation and managing government messaging.

Usec. Castro delivered her attack in highly personal and moral terms, questioning the very nature of Senator Marcos's actions.

She asked what kind of a sister Senator Imee is, following the statements she made against President Marcos at the Iglesia ni Cristo peace rally at the Quirino Grandstand. She then publicly described the Senator's behaviour as 'shameful'.

Claire Castro Frames The Allegations As Political Desperation

The administration's immediate goal, articulated through Usec. Claire Castro, is to discredit the source of the allegations rather than directly engage with the claims of drug use by the President and First Lady.

By labelling Senator Marcos as 'desperate,' the Palace attempts to neutralise the impact of the accusations, implying they stem from personal or political grievance rather than legitimate concern.

The Senator's remarks, which included that she knew the President takes drugs and that the family knew it was 'serious,' were made during a rally against corruption and government misuse of the national budget, tying the familial dispute directly to broader political dissent.

For the Palace to label such comments as 'desperate' is a clear attempt to divorce the sensational personal claims from the public's anti-corruption sentiment.

This clash highlights the high-stakes internal power struggle within the Marcos dynasty. Usec. Castro's use of phrases like 'shameful' and directly questioning Senator Marcos's morality as a sibling demonstrates the Palace's willingness to escalate the conflict to a deeply personal level in order to protect the President's image.

With the President's own Press Officer publicly attacking his sister, the rift in the country's leading family has now fractured into an open, unprecedented political warfare.

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