CLAIM: Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the remark, “Ang mga guro pa minsan ang nagtuturo sa kanilang mga estudyante kung paano maging walang modo.”
RATING: TRUE. Castro made the statement, but the full context is needed.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro’s remarks regarding how some teachers influence behavioral issues in students spread on social media in the wake of the school shooting incident in Zamboanga City on Aug. 18.
Flagged content: Multiple social media posts that featured a quote graphic attributing the following remark to Castro drew comments questioning the authenticity of the statement: “Ang mga guro pa minsan ang nagtuturo sa kanilang mga estudyante kung paano maging walang modo.”
- The quote graphic that utilized a photo of the Malacañang official and images from the school shooting incident were seen on Facebook and Tiktok.
Our findings: Castro did, in fact, make the remark during a press briefing on Aug. 18 when she was asked about the Palace’s response to the Zamboanga City incident.
- Prior to the remark, Castro claimed there were instances when teachers themselves violated moral standards.
- One solution is for the youth to be guided not only by their parents, but also by their schools, she said.
- A day later, Castro linked her Aug. 18 comments to an earlier, unrelated incident in Davao City in July, when students heckled President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
For context: On Aug. 18, a student opened fire in a school in Zamboanga City, killing another student before dying by suicide.
- This was the second school shooting incident in the country following the Tacloban case in June 2026.
- Castro has denied blaming teachers for the shooting incident.
Accountability: The Alliance of Concerned Teachers condemned Castro’s remarks and emphasized that teachers were also “among the victims of this culture of violence.”
- Online, some teachers called the attention of Education Secretary Sonny Angara to speak up and defend them.
- Netizens who shared the quote card and those in the comments section called out Castro for seemingly casting blame on teachers.
Why we fact-checked this: As various news agencies reported on Castro’s remark, PressOne.PH, through its tipline, received inquiries questioning whether she actually made the statement.
- This fact-check verified the authenticity of the viral statement and did not assess the truthfulness or validity of the claim she had made about teachers.
- This story also did not verify commentary and other information packaged by content creators along with the controversial remark.
Spot the fake: The viral statement was authentic, but its circulation on social media underscores the importance of verifying claims with their original sources and context before sharing them.
- If you come across a claim online and are unsure whether it is true, you can send it to PressOne.PH for verification. Submit your inquiries through our tipline at factcheck@pressone.ph or message us through our official Facebook and X accounts. Leigh San Diego
PressOne.PH is a verified signatory of the Code of Principles of the International Fact -Checking Network (IFCN) at Poynter. The code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network is a series of commitments organizations abide by to promote excellence in fact-checking. We believe nonpartisan and transparent fact-checking can be a powerful instrument of accountability journalism..
PressOne.PH believes that fact-checking is essential to combating misinformation and disinformation, and in informing and educating citizens and voters. Read more of PressOne.PH’s Fact-Checking Policy by clicking here.
The public is welcome to send feedback or requests for fact-checks at factcheck@pressone.ph.
If you believe PressOne.PH is violating the Code of Principles of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), you may submit a complaint directly to the IFCN website: https://ifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org/complaints-policy
FACT-CHECK: Castro makes remarks about teachers and student manners
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro’s remarks regarding how some teachers influence behavioral issues in students spread on social media in the wake of the school shooting incident in Zamboanga City on Aug. 18.
FACT-CHECK: Torre did not say 911 hotline responds in five minutes
A fabricated quote card has made the rounds in Facebook claiming that former police chief and now MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III said in an interview that the 911 emergency hotline service responds within five minutes.
FACT-CHECK: Image of Duterte at the International Criminal Court is AI-generated
An AI-generated image falsely claimed that former president Rodrigo Duterte appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and was seen being assisted and given water by Judge Joana Korner and British barrister Peter Haynes.
0 Comments