Claire Castro quote dismissing scrutiny of Marcos’ confidential funds is faux

There is no such thing as a credible supply for the viral quotes claiming the Palace press officer mentioned Marcos’ confidential funds ‘should not be questioned’ and ‘don’t require receipts’

Declare: Presidential Communications Workplace Undersecretary Claire Castro mentioned President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s use of P1 billion in confidential funds doesn’t require receipts and shouldn’t be questioned by the general public.

Ranking: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A quote card from Pinoy Movie star Information is spreading on Fb, and has garnered greater than 64,000 reactions, 16,000 feedback, and three,300 shares since February 13.

The quote card options a picture of Castro and her alleged quote: “Confidential fund po ito kaya hindi kailangan ng resibo.”

(These are confidential funds they usually don’t require receipts.)

In response to the put up’s caption, Castro was supposedly referring to the President’s P1 billion confidential fund allocation, which is allegedly getting used for actions similar to abroad journeys to safe investments for the nation.

A number of commenters have drawn comparisons to Vice President Sara Duterte and the controversy surrounding her use of confidential funds, saying that if Castro dismissed the necessity for receipts for Marcos’ use of the key funds, the identical normal should additionally apply to the Vice President’s case.

The information: There is no such thing as a credible supply proving that Castro made the assertion that confidential funds “don’t require receipts” or “shouldn’t be questioned.” The quote seems solely on unverified social media playing cards and a weblog put up that fails to quote any official sources or specify when the assertion was supposedly made.

The Presidential Communications Workplace web site exhibits no current press briefings wherein Castro talked about Marcos’ confidential funds.

Reviews from main information retailers have coated Castro’s statements about confidential funds, however none match the one within the viral put up. In an August 14, 2025, briefing, Castro made this assertion in protection of the Workplace of the President’s request for confidential and intelligence funds within the 2026 nationwide price range: “Ang tandaan po natin, ang confidential funds o ang pera ay hindi naman masama kung ginagamit sa tama. Ang confidential funds or pondo ay nagiging masama kung ginagamit ng isang corrupt.”

(Let’s keep in mind that confidential funds aren’t unhealthy so long as they’re correctly used. Confidential funds or cash solely develop into unhealthy if utilized by somebody corrupt.)

Incorrect determine: The declare that the President’s confidential funds quantity to P1 billion is inaccurate. Underneath the 2026 nationwide price range, the Workplace of the President will obtain P4.5 billion in confidential and intelligence funds.

Confidential funds auditing: The classification of those funds as “confidential” refers back to the nature of the actions they help, however these are nonetheless topic to auditing, following sure documentation and evaluate procedures.

The liquidation of confidential and intelligence funds is audited by the Fee on Audit, particularly the Intelligence and Confidential Fund Audit Unit.

A 2015 joint round laid down tips on confidential and intelligence funds, together with guidelines on reporting and auditing. Businesses allotted confidential funds ought to put together a bodily and monetary plan supporting their request for the funds and submit quarterly accomplishment experiences supported by documentary proof. (READ: [Ask The Tax Whiz] How do confidential funds work?) – Princess Leah Sagaad/Rappler.com

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