Undersecretary Castro on Tuesday (July 7) said the Philippine government did not file any complaint against the Filipino protesters who harassed her during President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s recent official visit to Canada. | PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
VANCOUVER, CA.– A Palace press officer’s routine media work turned tense when Undersecretary Claire Castro, spokesperson of the Marcos administration, was heckled by a group of Filipinos in Vancouver during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit. Castro said she and Presidential Communications Office Director Robertzon Ramirez were filming content when several Filipinos approached and asked her identity. Once she confirmed she was indeed Under Secretary. Castro, one protester immediately shouted, “You ask your President to resign!”
Castro said the group then surrounded and followed them, insisting they were only doing their jobs. “Kinuyog na kami… Hindi kami nagbabakasyon dito, we’re just doing our job,” she told reporters. A circulating video shows protesters trailing her with a megaphone, berating her as she tried to walk away.
Fil-Canadian Community Split Over Behavior
The incident quickly reached Filipino communities across Canada and the United States, where reactions were mixed. Castro condemned the behavior as “not very Filipino,” saying freedom of expression does not justify rudeness. “May freedom of expression tayo pero hindi naman kailangan maging bastos. Pilipino kayo, hindi naman ganyan ang ugali ng mga Pilipino,” she said.
Fil-Canadian community members in Vancouver expressed concern that political tensions from the Philippines were spilling into diaspora spaces. Some defended the protesters’ right to dissent, while others said the heckling crossed a line and risked portraying Filipinos abroad as hostile rather than engaged.
The confrontation also raised questions about whether host governments should intervene when visiting officials are harassed. Coverage by media outlets does not mention Canadian police involvement except that the incident happened in a public space where protest is protected. Castro hinted at concerns over safety, saying she and Ramirez did not know whether the group might escalate. “Di ko alam kung mananakit sila or what,” she said.
Government Responses
The Philippine government has not filed any complaint with Canadian authorities, and the Canadian government has not issued a statement as of the report’s publication. The Marcos administration appears intent on downplaying the incident, focusing instead on the President’s engagements in Canada.
For many Fil-Canadians, the episode highlights a growing challenge: how to balance passionate political expression with the community’s long-standing reputation for civility and respect.
