MANILA — Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro criticized Davao Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte’s recent comments on the deployment of United States military assets in the Philippines, calling him and other members of the Duterte family “pro-China.”

At a briefing on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Castro responded to Rep. Duterte’s questioning of the temporary deployment of the US Typhon Missile System in the country.

“First of all, the President already said it before—what can we expect from the Dutertes? They’re pro-China,” Castro said. She added that former President Duterte had admitted in 2020 that he could not act against China’s activities in the South China Sea and questioned whether his children would go against his previous statements.

Castro also cited remarks by Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson on West Philippine Sea affairs, who criticized Rep. Duterte for causing “paranoia about vital defense partnerships” with the United States.

“So will his children be the ones to go against their father? First of all, he should not undermine the President’s [Marcos’s] goal to strengthen the armed forces and continue the AFP modernization program,” Castro said.

Rep. Duterte had posted on social media questioning the AFP’s defense partnerships, writing, “So is this now our idea of defense? Showing off for America even if it’s clear that Filipinos will be the first to burn from another nation’s retaliation? Who are you really serving? The Philippines or the CIA?”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday clarified that Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., AFP Chief of Staff, only cited a “technical fact” about the missile system’s range. The military emphasized that the system’s presence is for “training and capability-building purposes” as part of the AFP modernization program.

“Any insinuation that the AFP or its leadership serves foreign interests is false and undermines the integrity, professionalism, and patriotism of the institution and its members who continue to defend our sovereignty,” the AFP said in a statement.

The military also stressed that all defense initiatives and partnerships are “conducted in line with the Philippines’ independent foreign policy and sovereign prerogative,” and urged public officials and opinion leaders to exercise caution in making statements.

“The AFP remains steadfast in its duty to protect the Filipino people and defend the nation’s sovereignty—serving no one but the Filipino, and protecting nothing but the Philippines,” the statement read.