Undersecretary Claire Castro

Clarissa 'Claire' Angeles Castro-Seechung (born June 27, 1969) is a Filipino lawyer, radio host, and podcaster who has served as Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and Palace Press Officer since February 24, 2025, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. On her first day, she countered former President Duterte's claims about the Marcos family's gold reserves, supported by a statement from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Castro holds a degree in political science and graduated cum laude with a law degree from the University of Santo Tomas (UST), and she also completed a Master's degree in law. She was involved in the UST Free Legal Clinic during law school and later led legal aid initiatives as president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) - Caloocan, Malabon, and Navotas chapter. A trial lawyer, she runs a law office named after herself.

Career History

• Radio broadcaster: hosted "Usapang de Campanilla" legal-advice show on ABS-CBN's DZMM from 2007 to 2020
• Co-hosted "3-in-1," an ABS-CBN live talk show, in 2015 alongside Karen Davila and K Brosas
• Legal columnist: wrote the 'Clear It' column in the tabloid Abante answering legal questions
• Co-hosted the legal-advice segment "Usapang Batas" on DZXL News
• Podcaster: runs the YouTube channel "Batas with Atty. Claire Castro" with more than a thousand videos since 2020

What Claire Castro could bring to her role as Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer: Castro's combination of courtroom litigation experience, legal scholarship, and over two decades of media presence positions her to effectively translate complex government policies into accessible public communications. Her role involves leading coordination and delivery of official press briefings and media engagements on behalf of the Office of the President and the PCO, leveraging her documented ability to address policy issues directly and defend presidential positions against political criticism, as evidenced by her first-day intervention on the gold reserves controversy.