Malacañang on Friday, February 14, declined to comment on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest accusation that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is addicted to illegal drugs, particularly heroin.
Duterte, known for his fiery rhetoric made the explosive claim as he rallied support for candidates of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) for the 2025 midterm elections, suggesting that Marcos’ alleged drug use could render him incapacitated by the age of 80.
“Merong isang presidente na talagang bangag. [Hindi naman] buang, pero ‘yung bisyo ng droga long term ‘yan. Maging ulol si Marcos. Maybe constant use of heroin — aabot pa siguro siya ng 80, pero sa panahon na ‘yan, hindi na siya gumagalaw,” Duterte said.
The allegation marks the latest escalation in the ongoing public feud between the two political families, whose alliance during the 2022 elections has since unraveled.
When asked for a reaction, PCO Secretary Cesar Chavez remained tight-lipped.
“No comment here,” Chavez said, refusing to engage further on the matter.
This is not the first instance of Duterte leveling accusations against Marcos regarding illegal drug use.
In January 2024, Duterte alleged that Marcos was “a drug addict then and a drug addict now as president.” He further claimed that Marcos had reportedly been on the watchlist of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) at one point.
In response to Duterte’s allegations, Marcos swiftly released a medical certification to refute the claims, showing no evidence of drug abuse in his system.
Marcos also countered by suggesting that Duterte’s accusations could be linked to the former president’s alleged use of fentanyl. (TCSP)
