“Ang utang na loob dapat may hangganan.”

A Palace official rejected Tuesday statements that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is ungrateful to the Duterte family for giving his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., a hero’s burial in 2016.

Palace: Rule of law comes first, not 'utang na loob' to Duterte over Marcos Sr. burial

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the younger Marcos already thanked both the Supreme Court and then President Duterte for allowing the late president to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Duterte calls for 'forgiveness' after Marcos burial

SC allows Marcos burial in Libingan ng mga Bayani

However, she noted this debt of gratitude should not stop government from doing the right thing in cooperating with Interpol in allowing the arrest of former president Duterte last Tuesday. 

“Ang utang na loob hindi lisensiya para di tuparin ang batas. Wag po nilang sabihin, ‘Pinalibing ko tatay mo, ipapakulong mo tatay ko.’ Minsan po ang utang na loob maganda po itong trait ng Filipinos pero hindi dapat lagi-lagi dahil nakakasira po ito sa trabaho,” she told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

“May pagkakataon na hindi mo gagawin ang dapat gawin dahil sa utang na loob, tumatanaw ka ng utang na loob. So siguro ang utang na loob dapat may hangganan. Maging professional tayo, sundin natin ang sinasabi ng batas, gawin natin ang nararapat.”

In the interview, Castro criticized the barrage of misinformation leveled against the government including “fake news” that the police would raid the Duterte home in Davao City. 

She noted that a person should not fear a police search of one’s home “unless there is contraband in the house.”

She said President Marcos has kept quiet despite relentless criticism by Duterte’s children.

“Hindi pinapansin ng pangulo ‘yung ginagawa ng mga Duterte. Pero para sa akin, dahil kumakalat ang fake news, hinahayaan nila ang fake news, hindi nila ito itinutuwid,” she said.

“Dapat hindi rin sila maging iresponsable sa kanilang mga sinasabi, considering na sila’y halal ng batas. Pag-sumobra at ito’y nakaka-alarma na sa bayan at sa pamahalaan, dapat na kaming kumilos at pigilan kung ano pa ang iligal na maaari nilang gawin.”