Who is Claire Castro, Marcos’ new PCO undersecretary? 

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Claire Castro, a lawyer, has been a familiar voice on radio, offering legal advice on various news programs

Claire Castro, a lawyer, was sworn in as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s new Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary on Monday, February 24. She will also serve as “Palace press officer.”

On her first day in office, Castro already showed what she’s capable of as she pushed back against former president Rodrigo Duterte’s claims that the Marcos family had sold off the country’s gold reserves.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) earlier released a statement belying Duterte’s claim. The central bank said that the gold reserves “are held and managed solely” by them.

In an interview with ANC on Tuesday, February 25, Castro said that selling gold is a “routinary strategy of the BSP” to pump up the economy without compromising the country’s gold reserves. She said that Duterte should know this himself as former Philippine president.

“Being a former president, he should know the activities of BSP. That’s why I asked, ‘Did your economic expert tell you this? Para kang walang alam eh,'” Castro said. (It seems like you don’t know anything.)

She said the Marcos administration will take Duterte’s statements seriously to curb the spread of disinformation. Duterte and his allies have a history of spreading disinformation.

During an indignation rally in Cebu over the weekend, Duterte likened Marcos to his father and namesake who declared Martial Law to extend his term. Castro dismissed this as a “campaign joke.”

“We don’t want the people to be called stupid again so we have to explain everything,” she said.

Networked propaganda and disinformation, including the gold myth, also played a key role in Marcos’ rise to the presidency, research has shown.

Castro, however, clarified that she would not be the President’s spokesperson, but rather would “explain and expound on the pronouncements of the Palace.” 

Castro holds a degree in political science from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and earned her law degree from the same university, graduating cum laude. She also holds a Master’s degree in law.

During law school, she was an active member of the UST Free Legal Clinic. Later, as president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Caloocan, Malabon, and Navotas chapter, she led its free legal aid clinic.

A trial lawyer, she runs a law office named after herself. 

She also has a background in media, previously writing the “Clear It” column in the tabloid Abante, where she answered legal questions addressed to her.

Castro was also a familiar voice on radio, offering legal advice on various news programs. From 2007 to 2020, she was part of ABS-CBN’s DZMM Radyo Patrol 6’s Usapang de Campanilla. 

She also co-hosted the “Usapang Batas” segment on DZXL News. Earlier in her career, from 2000 to 2001, she served as a radio commentator on DZMM’s Relos Reports with Atty. Kiko, a program anchored by former senator Kiko Pangilinan.

Although she admits she is not tech-savvy, Castro launched a YouTube channel on January 18, 2020, to share legal advice with a wider audience. In 2023, she also started sharing political and legal commentaries. Her YouTube channel has over 393,000 subscribers, as of writing. 

Castro took her oath on the same day as former ABS-CBN reporter Jay Ruiz, who was sworn in as secretary of the Presidential Communications Office.

– Rappler.com