Manila: Malaca±ang on Monday questioned the high volume of illegal drugs still being intercepted in Davao City, turning the tables on Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte after he claimed that the Marcos administration has triggered a resurgence in narcotics and criminality.

According to Philippines News Agency, during a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro highlighted a massive local drug bust earlier this month to challenge the long-standing narrative surrounding the effectiveness of the Duterte family's anti-drug policies. She questioned why such a large volume of illegal drugs, PHP15.6 million worth of shabu, was seized in a Davao City operation on May 14, 2026, under Mayor Duterte's jurisdiction.

Castro argued that the persistence of large-scale drug activities in the mayor's own locality raises questions about the legacy of the previous administration's controversial "war on drugs" enforcement strategies. She emphasized that, unlike in the past, the current administration has managed to seize a significant amount of illegal drugs without resorting to extrajudicial killings.

Malaca±ang's counter-response comes after Duterte spoke at a weekend RAGE Coalition rally, accusing President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of failing to show governance achievements while allegedly allowing corruption and illegal drugs to return unchecked. Castro countered by suggesting that Duterte was out of touch with the national government's actual infrastructure and welfare outputs, dismissing claims of inaction by pointing to tangible infrastructure projects and ongoing public assistance programs.