CALOOCAN City Rep. Edgar Erice has slammed Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro over her criticism of his remarks on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s handling of the flood control controversy, among others.
Erice said Castro appeared to have misunderstood his earlier statement that nothing would come of Marcos’ announcement that individuals, including former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, could face charges over the alleged flood control fund anomalies.
“I think she didn’t understand what I said or she didn’t want to understand it.”
Erice said his remarks weren’t intended to speak for Marcos but to express what he said were the public sentiments due to flooding and other government problems.
“As a representative of the people, I am expressing what I hear and what I feel are the sentiments of the people.”
Castro had criticized Erice for claiming that Marcos wouldn’t have Romualdez jailed, saying the lawmaker’s statements were theories not based on facts.
Erice said Castro should focus on communicating the President’s position rather than criticizing his views as a lawmaker.
“If there’s anyone who has no right to express an opinion, it is Undersecretary Claire because she’s supposed to voice the President’s message, not her own,” said the veteran Caloocan lawmaker as he added that his criticism was “constructive” and not intended to attack the President personally.
He cited previous statements by Marcos on government initiatives, including the possible arrest of individuals involved in anomalies, the creation of an Independent Commission for Infrastructure, a one-million-house program and a proposed P20-per-kilo rice program.
According to him, many of those promises had yet to produce the results expected by the public.
He said his statements reflected the frustrations of residents dealing with flooding, rising fuel prices and other difficulties.
“These are the sentiments of people who are being flooded, drivers who are affected and those who clean flood water from their homes in the early morning and cannot sleep because of flooding.”
Knowing ‘Pareng Egay’ for decades, he always makes sure with what comes out from his mouth, that’s what’s truly inside.
There you go.
