Robin Padilla and Claire Castro are arguing about this issue
Senator Robin Padilla reacted to the denial of Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office, Claire Castro, regarding the troll farm issue.
Padilla is the author of Senate Bill No. 1490, or the Anti-Troll Farm Act of the Philippines. This bill is against troll farms that are used to spread fake news.
The actor-politician is also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media.
During the Senate Plenary Session on the proposed budget of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) for 2026, on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, based on the article in PEP, Sen. Robin Padilla played a leaked audio recording of a conversation between two women.
He said that the audio recording allegedly contains a conversation between Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office Claire Castro and someone, and they were talking about trolls.
The following day, Castro denied that it was her voice that was heard in the unverified leaked audio recording.
She stated in a press briefing in Malacañang. Castro said that, for the satisfaction of the senator, she was not the woman in the leaked audio recording. She stressed that this material was already released, and it showed a different face.
“I deny that I am the person or kung sino man sa dalawa doon… that I was talking to a certain vlogger,” Catro said.
She also said that it is the obligation of the senator to disclose the source of the audio recording. Castro said that it would be better to ask Padilla where he got this or where his source came from. On the other hand, Castro said that Padilla is proposing a good law, but he should be a model by not spreading or falling victim to troll farms that spread fake news.
Sen. Robin Padilla responded to Claire Castro’s statement through his post on his Facebook page. “Usec. Claire wala po nag-akusa sa inyo. Ang punto po ay Troll farm,” he said.
“Sila ang nagpapalaganap ng fake news at kung sino ba ang nagpopondo sa kanila kaya kung gusto ninyo na mabawasan man lang ang fake news dahil kayo kamo sa administrasyon ang nabibiktima ay suportahan ng PCO ang Senate Bill No. 1490, o Anti-Troll Farm Act of the Philippines,” the lawmaker stressed.
On Thursday, Padilla once again hit Castro. He said that Castro was not at the budget hearing to personally answer the questions from senators.
Sen. Robin Padilla also said that he could have asked Claire Castro personally if she was one of the women in the leaked audio or if it is true that P50 million is missing from their office because she was mentioned on social media with the word “troll.”
“Chairman po ako ng Senate on Public Information and Mass Media, trabaho ko po ang tanongin kayo na nasa public information hindi akusahan,” the senator said, adding that Castro’s antics would not work on him.