ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio has lashed out at Malacañang Press Officer Claire Castro, accusing her of spreading “fake news” by attributing regional transboundary haze pollution strictly to climate change rather than corporate practices.
The word war escalated after Tinio publicly labeled President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as “useless” (inutil) during recent budget hearings over the administration’s perceived inaction on incoming toxic smog from Indonesia.
Castro pushed back, calling the teacher-solon’s language disrespectful and unbefitting an educator.
In response, Tinio firmly doubled down on his criticisms and rejected Castro’s framing of the environmental crisis.
Tinio argued that Castro is actively misleading the public by hiding corporate accountability behind the veil of natural weather patterns. He stated:
“Bilang spokesperson ng Presidente, dapat hindi siya nagkakalat ng maling impormasyon. Sabi niya: ‘Hindi kagustuhan ninuman ang sinasapit ng Indonesia. Dala ito ng matinding El Niño – ng climate change.’ Fake news yan.”
The lawmaker clarified that the root cause of the choking haze blanketing parts of Visayas and Mindanao is human-driven corporate greed via slash-and-burn farming (kaingin).
“Taon-taon, ay sinusunog ng mga ito ang malawak na kagubatan para magbukas ng mga bagong plantasyon. Dahil sa lawak ng pagsusunog, umaabot ang usok sa mga kapitbahay na bansa. Lalong kumakalat ito sa panahon ng tagtuyot, katulad ng kasalukuyang El Niño. Ngayong taon, umabot ito sa Pilipinas.”
Tinio pointed to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, demanding that the Philippine government use its diplomatic leverage to engage Jakarta rather than staying silent.
“Tungkulin ng gubyerno na pangalagaan ang kalusugan ng mamamayan laban sa mapanirang gawain ng kapitbahay na bansa. Hindi ginagamit ng administrasyon ang kasunduang ito para ma-engage ang Indonesia. Ito ang context kung bakit tinawag kong inutil ang Pangulo, lalupa at Pilipinas ang kasalukuyang chair ng ASEAN.”
Defending his fiery rhetoric against the Chief Executive during the budget hearings for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Tinio insisted that truth takes precedence over politeness.
“Hindi nakakatulong ang modus ni Usec. Castro bilang spokesperson ng Palasyo: nagpapalganap ng maling impormasyon at pilit na nililihis ang usapin sa halip na sagutin ang isyu… Inutil naman talaga. Hindi pambabastos ang pagsabi ng totoo.”# (RRN)
