Malacañang on Friday described as “desperate” Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s allegations that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. controls the Senate, the courts and the police.

In a video message, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro dismissed Duterte’s allegations as baseless, saying these were merely intended to undermine the integrity of government authorities by making it appear that the Vice President is “oppressed and persecuted.”

“Ang paninirang ito ay walang basehan, kundi galing lang sa madumi at maitim na isipan ni Bise Presidente (These accusations have no basis. They come only from the dirty and dark thoughts of Vice President) Sara Duterte,” Castro said.

“Dahil sa kakulangan niya ay kailangan niyang sirain ang iba. Isa itong desperadong galawan ng Bise Presidente para sirain ang integridad ng mga awtoridad at ipalabas na siya ang api at ginigipit, samantalang ang lahat ng usapin ay kagagawan niya mismo (Because of her shortcomings, she has to destroy others. This is a desperate move by the Vice President to undermine the integrity of the authorities and portray herself as being oppressed and persecuted, when in fact, all these issues are of her own making),” she added.

Duterte earlier accused Marcos of controlling senators, prosecutors, judges and the police amid the impeachment proceedings and the issuance of an arrest warrant in connection with grave threats stemming from her previous “assassination” remark against the President.

Castro stressed that the complaints against Duterte are not the result of planted evidence or fabricated intrigues, saying the acts being questioned were based on the Vice President’s “own agenda.”

“Lahat ng mga inirereklamong ginawa niya, ‘yun ay voluntaryo sa kanya at iyon ay ayon sa sarili niyang agenda (All the acts being complained about were voluntary on her part and were done according to her own agenda),” she said.

Castro also responded to Duterte’s alleged readiness to replace Marcos, saying it appeared that the Vice President was more likely ready to become a “troublemaker.”

She criticized Duterte over her alleged inaction on pressing issues the country is facing, including flooding and rising prices of basic commodities.

“Handa na raw siyang maging Pangulo o handa na siyang maging pang-gulo?” she said.

Castro said Duterte’s tirades against Marcos appeared to be an attempt to divert attention from the issues being raised against her.

She said Duterte should instead focus on addressing the Filipinos’ concerns rather than attacking government institutions.

“Maganda iyang ginagawa ng Bise Presidente sa pag-amin na wala siyang maitutulong sa problema ng bayan (It is good that the Vice President is admitting that she has done nothing to help address the country’s problems),” Castro said.

“Salamat na rin at inamin niya na wala siyang ginagawa para maibsan ang problema sa baha na nararanasan sa Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao, lalo na sa Davao City. Wala siyang nagagawa na makatulong sa presyo ng bilihin dahil noong unang putok sa Iran, nasa bakasyon siya sa (It is also good that she admitted that she has done nothing to address the flooding in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, particularly in Davao City. She has done nothing to help with the rising prices of goods because when the conflict erupted in Iran, she was on vacation in) Bangkok,” she added. (PNA)