Who Is Claire Castro, Malacañang's New Press Officer?
ILLUSTRATION: Igi Talao
Atty. Claire Castro, the new Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer of the Presidential Communications Office, started her term last Monday, February 24, under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
She is working alongside former ABS-CBN reporter Jay Ruiz, who was appointed Secretary of the Presidential Communications Office.
First Media Briefing
On Castro's first day at the Palace, she commented on former President Rodrigo Duterte's claims that Marcos was involved in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas's (BSP) sale of gold reserves.
"Ang unang gikawat ni Marcos, ang atong gold reserves. Sigehan nana'g baligya ang atong gold hangtod karon, gamay nalang kaayo. So unsaon nalang pagtindog ang ekonomiya pag-abot sa panahon?," Duterte said during the Cebu People's Indignation Rally on Saturday, February 22, in Mandaue City.
Castro explained, however, that this is a regular activity that stimulates the economy. She added that the government will take such claims seriously.
"We will take this seriously para naman hindi magkaroon ng fake news lalo na sa mga taong nakikinig sa kanya, at maaaring naniniwala," she said.
The Philippines was found to have sold the most gold among all the reporting countries in the first half of 2024. In defense, the BSP issued a statement saying that it "took advantage of the higher prices in gold in the market and generated additional income without compromising the primary objectives for holding gold, which are insurance and safety."
Background and Career of Claire Castro
Clarissa Castro is a political science graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, where she also earned her law degree, graduating cum laude. She also holds a Master's degree in law.
She was an active member of the UST Free Legal Clinic during her law school days. Then, served as the president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Caloocan, Malabon, and Navotas chapter.
Castro, a trial lawyer, real estate broker, and real estate appraiser, runs her own legal service in Quezon City.
Early in her career, she served as a radio commentator on DZMM's Relos Reports with Atty. Kiko [Pangilinan] from 2000 to 2001. She was part of ABS-CBN's DZMM (now DWPM) Radyo Patrol 6’s Usapang de Campanilla from 2007 to 2020, a live talk show titled 3-in-1 alongside Karen Davila and K Brosas in 2015, and, most recently, a legal-advice radio segment titled Usapang Batas on DZXL News.
She now runs the YouTube channel Batas with Atty. Claire Castro, which has more than a thousand videos since it started in 2020, including: "Mga Ebidensya na Kandidato ng China si VP Sara" (Feb 2025), "FP Duterte, Lusot Kahit Maraming Inamin" (Nov 2024), "Sinong Pwedeng mga Utak ng Deepfake Video ni PBBM" (May 2024), "Harry Roque, Walang Pera Pero Saan Mo Kinuha ang P36-M Para sa Campaign ni Sara Duterte?" (August 2024), and more. Her YouTube's About page reads: "Ang Abogada ng Bayan... Nakikinig. Nagpapaliwanag. Nagtatanggol. Lumalaban. Sa Usaping Batas, Walang Pinapalampas."
Claire Castro and the Manila Police District in 2015
On September 22, 2015, Castro was involved in a clash against members of the Manila Police District (MPD) following an entrapment operation and arrest of her client, a Chinese millionaire named Jackson Chua. Chua allegedly kidnapped his six-year-old son from flight attendant Ricamarie Taylor, who filed a complaint and sought the assistance of the MPD-Women's Desk.
"Walang warrant, sir, kinakaladkad sa SM Mall-San Lazaro. Walang complaint. Walang ginagawa sa SM Mall para arestuhin," Castro was heard saying in a recorded video. The clip also showed the lawyer shouting at and pushing the police officers, for which she was detained with charges of slander by deed, direct assault, and obstruction of justice. She was released the next day.
In the December 2017 decision implemented in January 2018, nine MPD police officers were dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman over the illegal arrest of Chua.
