Palace exec to Harry Roque: We're messengers, not salesmen

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro hit back at former presidential spokesman Harry Roque after the latter wished them luck for being “'salesmen'' of the Marcos administration. 

Castro emphasized that they are messengers of the Marcos administration, and not salesmen of President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr.

''Naniniwala po talaga kami na mahirap ibenta ang bulok o masamang produkto. Mahirap po talagang ibenta kapag ang ibinibenta mo ay kailangan mo pang linisin ang mga sinasabi. Mahirap ibenta ang mga tao na ang laging nababanggit ay joke lamang iyan,'' Castro said in a press briefing.

(We certainly believe that it's difficult to sell a rotten product. It's difficult to sell if you still need to cleanse their statements. It's difficult to sell if they're always telling you that it was only a joke.) 

''Hindi po kami salesman dito. Kami po ay messenger. Ang salesman po kasi ay kailangan na maganda ang bokadura mo; kailangan na ibenta kahit na minsan ay hindi totoo iyong mga sinasabi mo para lang mabenta ang isang tao o isang produkto. Okay, sa amin po, messenger kami; hindi po kami nagbebenta ng Pangulo o ng gobyerno. 

(We are not salesmen. We are messengers. A salesman should have a good voice, you need to sell even what he/she is saying is not true. We are messengers. We are not selling the President or the government.)

She said officials of the Presidential Communications Office are just communicating the services that the public could get from the administration.

''Pinapakita lamang po namin at inilalahad namin kung ano ang maaaring makuha ng taumbayan sa ating gobyerno, kung anong puwedeng itulong ng ating gobyerno sa taumbayan. So, hindi po kami salesman; kami po ay messenger,'' Castro said.

(We are just showing the services that the public will get from the government, or what help can they offer to the people. So we are not salesmen, we are messengers.)

In a Facebook post, Roque wished the PCO good luck for being salesmen of the Chief Executive, saying that if the product is not good, it would be hard to sell.

''Para kang salesman eh, kinakailangang ibenta mo ang Presidente mo... pero alam ng lahat ng salesman, kahit gaano ka kagaling na salesman, kung hindi magandang produkto, mahihirapan kang ibenta. So all I can say is goodluck sa bagong PCO officials na si Jay Ruiz at Claire Castro,'' Roque said.

(You're like a salesman, you need to sell the President. But even if you're a good salesman, if your product is not good, it would be difficult for you to sell.) 

Veteran journalist Jay Ruiz was appointed last week as the new chief of the Presidential Communications Office while Castro was named as press officer. 

In the past days, Castro has been responding to the tirades against the Marcos administration, saying that fake news should be combatted. — RF, GMA Integrated News