The attack dog

You won’t hear Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cussing in public or making misogynistic or un-PC jokes.

But with his rift with the Duterte camp growing deeper, some people think they’re seeing a case of No More Mr. Nice Guy. Or is it just our intrigue-loving imagination?

BBM went negative in campaigning for his Alyansa Senate slate, minus one as he pointedly skipped mentioning his Ate Imee, who has since officially bolted the coalition, and whose latest moniker is Senator Ekek.

The hiss from the snake pit is that another member of the Alyansa slate could also be junked, and it would be the least of the candidate’s woes inflicted by the administration.

BBM is no longer beyond making snide remarks, especially when it comes to his erstwhile UniTeam running mate, Vice President Sara Duterte.

Meanwhile, the VP seems to have learned the virtue of tempering her barbs aimed at those in power. But she still makes some remarks that elicit sharp retorts from Malacañang – either from BBM or from the person seen to be speaking for him, Claire Castro.

A lawyer and former broadcaster, Castro’s job designation is Palace press officer and undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office.

She told me that the office of the presidential spokesperson has been abolished by BBM, with no plans for its revival, so no, she’s not his spokesperson.

Still, she’s currently seen as the Palace mouthpiece, and her style is being likened to that of Duterte’s pugnacious spokesperson, Harry Roque.

The feisty Castro laughed off descriptions of her as a pit bull and attack dog of Malacañang, saying she has always been like this even when working as a trial lawyer.

Facing me on The STAR’s online show “Truth on the Line” last Thursday, Castro said she gets many haters on social media, but also people who approve of her work.

Maybe because of her media background, she genuinely seems unfazed by the haters. She says the bashers should also love her because when they use her for their content, they get a lot of views and consequently may earn more.

She also gets a lot of insults from people who she suspects want her booted out of government.

Those who have expressed approval for her work, she said, note her quicker moves to correct fake news and malicious information about the government, unlike in the past when there seemed to be a “gap” in such reactions from the administration.

Does she also receive serious threats to her safety, whether online or in person? Castro says she’s unaware of any such threats.

“With God’s help, I hope not,” she said.

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Castro maintains that this is the main instruction of BBM to the new comms team – to battle fake news and disinformation about the work of government. She stresses that there is no specific instruction for her to match the increasing belligerence of administration bashers. And there is no deliberate shift in the communication approach of Malacañang, she says, from BBM’s laid-back and conflict-averse style to “bring it on.”

She says what BBM also wants from the comms team is to step up efforts to deliver the good news – what the government is doing for the people, the benefits and aid available and how to access assistance.

An app has been developed for detecting fake news about the government. Castro said the app would be given to certain agencies including the Commission on Elections. A task force against fake news is also being organized, to be headed by fact-checkers.

Those spreading fake news, Castro lamented, would really “pull down the government with their false narratives,” derailing state programs and the economy.

As part of efforts to combat fake news and malicious content, the government is also considering requiring social media influencers and content creators to register, Castro said. Not to regulate content, which could infringe on constitutional rights, but to peel away anonymity and promote accountability in disseminating information.

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I asked Castro how her life has changed in her shift from media and private law practice to one of the hot seats in government.

She says sleeping in during Sundays has become rare. Not because she is losing sleep over the bashing and insults, but because of the sheer workload and demands of the job.

What about her principal? BBM has said he is “slightly affected” by the surge in fake news. But Castro says Marcos always has a packed schedule and too many matters requiring his attention, and cannot afford to dwell on bashers.

Marcos is not pursuing a cyberlibel case, which is a personal complaint, against those behind the so-called “polvoron” video featuring what the DDS say is BBM snorting cocaine.

Harry Roque has denied being one of the brains behind the dissemination of the video. But Castro cited video footage of Roque telling DDS in Vancouver, Canada to download the polvoron video and spread it.

She says the accompanying calls to topple the government led by an alleged cokehead could warrant a case for sedition – something that the Department of Justice is now pursuing.

As for another arch critic of the President, his own sister Imee, Castro prefers to stay out of family matters, although she suggests that the siblings talk it out.

BBM, probably realizing that hell hath no fury than an Ate scorned, has refrained from commenting about his elder sister. At this point, if the rift is genuine, he probably thinks that with a sister like this, who needs enemies?

The Dutertes, on the other hand, seem to think the rift and the ongoing Senate probe of the arrest and turnover of Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague is nothing but an elaborate zarzuela.

Castro, who provided pro bono services when she was practicing law, is a prayerful person. She says one of the things that soured her initial admiration for Rodrigo Duterte was his swearing against God, apart from his constant cussing and, later, the killings in his war on drugs and other laws that he violated. Such behavior, especially in a predominantly Catholic country, cannot be normalized, she says.

“I’m not anti-Duterte. I voted for him in 2016,” Castro told me. “But I’m not a fanatical person. As much as possible, we should be pro-government. We should be patriotic, not fanatic.”

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