Claire Castro slams Robin Padilla over 'balat-sibuyas' remark

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro on Monday slammed Senator Robin Padilla’s remark that government officials should not be "thin-skinned," following her account of alleged harassment she experienced in Canada. Over the weekend, Castro said she was approached by a group of Filipinos as she and a colleague were shooting social media reels in Canada. She stated that a group wielding a bullhorn began shouting and heckling her in Filipino. Though Padilla did not name her in his Facebook post, he mentioned rallyists in Canada and said they can exercise freedom of expression. "It would be better if he himself, or Senator Robin Padilla himself, were the one to say it. Because we are not thin-skinned," Castro said in a press briefing. "We do not react the way others do, where simply because someone raised their voice due to an interruption or interjection while a senator was speaking, they immediately took offense and had sort of tantrum. That is what being truly thin-skinned means." The Palace official may be referring to the heated exchange between Padilla and Senator Francis Pangilinan during a discussion of the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Senator Ronald dela Rosa. Padilla interjected as Pangilinan was seeking to refer manifestations, prompting Pangilinan to raise his voice and say: "I still have the floor." He later questioned whether senators were allowed to shout at colleagues and later refused a conciliatory handshake from Pangilinan during the break. He also threatened to file a complaint before the Senate ethics committee if Pangilinan refused to apologize on record. Meanwhile, Castro emphasized that the issue was not about being thin-skinned but about Filipinos who display poor manners. "We have said that everyone has the right to freedom of expression. But let us ask Senator Robin Padilla this: Would he tolerate fellow Filipinos, or perhaps his allies, or those who share the same narrative as his allies, using words like 'I hope you die,' or cursing someone by saying [a curse word]?" Castro said. She expressed concern that if such behavior is tolerated, children might believe it is right to use curse words and pray for the death of others. "Is it that why he did not even admonish or call out the Vice President when she repeatedly cursed our President and even threatened his life? Does Senator Robin Padilla tolerate that, yet still call someone else thin-skinned?" she questioned. Castro stated she did not want to make a big deal of the alleged harassment and denied taking or spreading the video on social media. "We were not the ones who circulated the video. We have no intention of turning this into a bigger issue. But it appears that they—the ones who harassed us or did this to us in Canada—were likely the ones who circulated the video for their own content, spreading it among their allies or trolls," she said. Castro also said she does not know what action will be taken by authorities in Canada and confirmed if the individuals involved will be deported. "We did not file any complaint. We do not know whether the Philippine Embassy, the ambassador, or the consul general in Canada will take any action. But as far as I’m concerned, we did not report anything," she said. Source: GMA News Philippines