FALSE: Atty. Claire Castro submits courtesy resignation letter amidst PCO head revamp

A Facebook post from Dee NotKnow claims that Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office (PCO) undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro has submitted her courtesy resignation letter for the post.

CLAIM

The post claims that Castro has submitted her courtesy resignation letter as the PCO undersecretary.

RATING: FALSE

CONCLUSION

Castro still serves in a concurrent capacity as a Palace Press Officer and the undersecretary of PCO since February 2025, and has denied the claims for any courtesy resignation letter.

THE FACTS

• Castro serves in a concurrent capacity as a Palace Press Officer and the undersecretary of PCO since February 2025.
• Castro previously submitted a courtesy resignation letter last July 2025 when then-PCO secretary Dave Gomez directed all then-PCO officials at the time to file their letters after assuming the post. Courtesy resignation letters are usually filed when there are changes in an office or agency’s leadership.
• Gomez has declined to accept Castro’s resignation letter, retaining the attorney’s undersecretary post at PCO.
• Gomez held the position in acting capacity from July 2025 until October 10, 2026. He was replaced by former Taguig City mayor Lino Cayetano in the position, holding the post since October 13.
• Castro personally dismissed the claims last Monday through a Viber message sent to The Manila Times, saying “no” whether she has submitted a courtesy resignation letter or not.
• Claims of Castro’s submission of a new courtesy resignation letter possibly stems from Cayetano’s recent appointment as the new PCO secretary. As of this writing, there are still no reports of Cayetano directing all PCO officials to file such letters.

THE BOTTOMLINE

Atty. Claire Castro has personally denied the circulating reports and claims of her submitting a courtesy resignation letter. While submitting the letters is a standard procedure, there are no reports yet so far of PCO undersecretary Lino Cayetano directing the officials to submit such.