By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has launched an inquiry into an incident involving Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s working visit to Canada, directing Philippine diplomatic posts to coordinate with Canadian authorities on the matter.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the DFA said Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro ordered the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa and the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver to establish the facts surrounding the incident and determine the applicable Canadian laws and security protocols governing the protection of visiting foreign officials.
“The DFA is looking into the incident involving Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro during the visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada last week,” the department said.
The move follows an encounter between Castro and anti-Marcos demonstrators while she was accompanying the Philippine delegation during the President’s official activities in Vancouver. Videos of the confrontation later circulated widely on social media.
The DFA said Philippine diplomats have been instructed to work closely with Canadian authorities to determine the circumstances of the incident and assess whether any security or diplomatic protocols may have been violated.
The department, however, did not disclose further details and stopped short of stating whether any laws had been breached.
Castro earlier said she would not personally pursue legal action, describing the confrontation as “part of the job” and leaving any appropriate diplomatic or legal response to the DFA and Philippine government officials stationed in Canada.
President Marcos visited Canada last week for high-level meetings with Canadian officials and engagements with the Filipino community aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, expanding economic cooperation, and deepening the two countries’ strategic partnership.
ia/xf
