Malacanang took a below the belt attack to destroy a perceived political enemy by engaging in fake news dissemination against Vice President Sara Duterte.

The accusation was made by Duterte herself, saying that the disinformation move by the Palace was meant to divert public attention from the Marcos administration’s setback in its bid to oust her through impeachment.

Palace spokesperson Claire Castro allegedly fed reporters the misleading information during an interview with the news media in India.

Castro claimed she received information about the vice presidents plan to travel to Kuwait on Friday (August 8). But when she disclosed this piece of information travel authority has yet to be issued to Duterte.

Duterte assailed De Castro’s statement as “fake news”.

“There’s no truth at all that nga niadto ko og Kuwait without a travel authority,” she told reporters in an interview on Wednesday (Aug. 7)

Duterte said that while Malacanang has claimed it is against fake news, it is the one spreading it.

“So I guess, isa na naman ‘yon sa ginagawa ng Office of the President - ‘yung ilihis ang usapan sa kung ano ang totoong nangyayari sa ating bayan,” she said.

The vice president noted that Castro aired the wrong information in the wake of a Senate decision to archive the impeachment complaint filed by the House of Representatives against her.

“Gumawa na naman sila ng kuwento na umalis ako sa bansa nang walang travel authority, para na naman doon matutok ang buong atensyon ng mga tao at matuloy na naman ‘yung lagi nilang paninira sa akin,” she said. “Ang tawag ko diyan ay political scapegoating.”