PHIn a June 29, 2026, press briefing, Philippine presidential communications officer Claire Castro urged Filipinos not to 'register' with groups that pray for others' deaths, describing such actions as the work of a 'cult of evil.' She emphasized that the 'new Filipino' should not pray for the death of others. While Castro did not explicitly name any group, her comments followed remarks by Vice President Sara Duterte, who had referred to former President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as 'masamang damo' (bad weed), implying he does not die easily. Duterte’s comment came during a speech in Sarangani on June 23, and Castro later dismissed similar remarks as coming from those seeking to remove Marcos from power.
Bias read (Conservative): The article frames the issue around anti-establishment sentiment and references controversial political figures like Marcos and Duterte. The language used ('cult of evil,' 'snatch Marcos’ position') implies a strong ideological stance against certain political actors, aligning more closely with a 't
Why these scores (Factual 85 · Objective 70): Factuality is high as the article accurately reports Castro's statements at the press briefing and contextualizes them with VP Duterte's remarks. Objectivity is lower due to the potential bias in linking Duterte's comments to Castro's warning without clear evidence of direct connection.
