'A treasure in this government': Claire Castro to remain as PCO Usec following courtesy resignation
Officials from the Presidential Communications Office, including Claire Castro, have submitted their courtesy resignations after the recent leadership change in the agency.
The move is a standard procedure following a leadership transition. However, newly appointed PCO Secretary Lino Cayetano told the media on Friday, Oct. 23, that Castro will remain in her post as the undersecretary.
"Usec. Claire is a treasure in this government," he said. “I haven’t seen someone who can articulate so well what this government [does]. We will work closely together so we can help translate a lot of the issues, a lot of the programs, a lot of the policies of this government,” he added.
Cayetano said he does not intend to change Castro’s combative approach to defending the administration, but highlighted the need to focus more on explaining government programs and policies to the public.
“We just have to be a little bit more focused on the things we want to talk about pero in terms of being combative, of protecting what this administration is doing to be able to explain to the Filipino people bakit natin ginagawa ‘yung ilang mga bagay, hanga ako kay Usec. Claire,” he said.
“I think kaya makipagsabayan ni Usec. Claire with anyone, but I think what we should be able to provide with Usec. Claire and that podium for the MPC ay mas marami pang impormasyon para maramdaman ng sambayanang Pilipino kung bakit natin binabago o binabangga ‘yung ibang polisiya or burukrasiya para mapabilis ‘yung biyaya sa sambayanang Pilipino,” Cayetano said.
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Castro also submitted a courtesy resignation in July 2025 when Dave Gomez took office, which was rejected, allowing her to stay in her post.
Cayetano took over the PCO leadership from Gomez on Oct. 11. He is the sixth PCO chief under Bongbong Marcos' administration. Before Malacañang, he previously worked as a television director and was appointed general manager of the state-run People's Television Network Inc. in June. He also served as Taguig City mayor from 2019 to 2022 and represented the city’s Second District in the House of Representatives from 2013 to 2016.
Meanwhile, Castro used to host DZMM's legal-advice radio show Usapang de Campanilla, ABS-CBN's live talk show 3-in 1, and DZXL News's Usapang Batas segment.
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October 21, 2026