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

Following her denouncement of the alleged harassment she experienced in Canada, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro on Monday slammed Senator Robin Padilla’s remark that government officials should not be thin-skinned.

Over the weekend, Castro said was approached by a group of Filipinos as she and a colleague were shooting social media reels.

In a social media video that has been shared across different accounts, Castro is seen walking with Presidential Communications Office Director Robertzon Ramirez when a bullhorn-toting group started 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.

“Mas maganda na masabi niya rin ito or mismo ni Senator Robin Padilla sa sarili niya. Dahil hindi po tayo balat-sibuyas,” she said in a press briefing.

(It would be better if he himself, or Senator Robin Padilla himself, were the one to say it. Because we are not thin-skinned.)

“Hindi po tayo umaalma katulad nung ibang ginagawa na tinaasan lang ng boses dahil sa kanyang pag sisingit o pag interrupt sa pagsasalita ng isang senador ay biglang umalma na at medyo nag alburuto. ‘Yan po ang totoong balat sibuyas,” she added.

(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 said that the issue was not about being thin-skinned but about Filipinos who display poor manners.

“Sinabi po natin na karapatan ng bawat isa ang freedom of expression, pero ang pagsasabi ba, ito magandang itanong natin ito kay Senator Robin Padilla: Ito-tolerate niya ba ang kanyang mga kapwa Pilipino o maybe kaalyado niya o ang naratibo ay katulad ng kanyang mga kaalyado, ang salitang mamatay ka na sana? Oh kaya ang pag mumura na P.I.?” Castro said.

(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]?)

She said that if this is tolerated, children might believe it is right to use curse words and pray for the death of others.

“Kaya ba, hindi niya man lang pinagsasabihan o hindi man lang niya inalarmahan ang Bise Presidente nung ito ay nag mura, minura ng minura ang Pangulo natin at pinagbantaan pa ng buhay? ‘Yan ba ay nato-tolerate ni Senator Robin Padilla para sabihing balat-sibuyas ang isang tao?” she said.

(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?)

Castro also said she did not want to make a big deal of the alleged harassment as she denied taking or spreading the video on social media.

“Hindi po kami ang nagpakalat ng video. Wala po kaming balak na ito ay palakihin,” Castro said in a press briefing.

(We were not the ones who circulated the video. We have no intention of turning this into a bigger issue.)

“Pero lumalabas na sila– malamang ‘yung sino ang nang harass o gumawa ng ganito sa amin sa Canada– sila ang nagpakalat ng video para sa kanilang content, na-ispread nila sa kanilang mga kaalyado o mga trolls,” she added.

(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.)

Castro also said she does not know any action will be taken by authorities in Canada when asked to confirm if the individuals involved will be deported.

“Hindi po tayo nag sumbong. Hindi po natin alam kung merong gagawing aksyon ang Philippine Embassy, ang ambassador, at ang consul general sa Canada. Pero as far as I’m concerned, wala po kaming sinumbong,” she said.

(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 am concerned, we did not report anything.) —RF, GMA News