EVERYBODY thought he was referring to candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the 2022 presidential campaign. At a gathering held in front of his remaining supporters, former president Rodrigo Duterte was categorical: the son of the President he once idolized is a drug addict.
His son, Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, mayor of Davao City, made a similar accusation.
But neither the father nor the son showed proof of their allegations. During the campaign, Marcos had himself tested for drugs twice, one at the Philippine National Police laboratory, the other at St. Luke’s. Both tests yielded negative results.
Duterte never named Marcos during the 2022 campaign. Now, it is a different story.
“Bongbong, bang*g ‘yan. That’s why sinasabi ko sa inyo. Si Bongbong Marcos bang*g noon. Ngayong presidente na, bang*g ang ating presidente. Kayong mga military alam ninyo yan, lalo na ‘yong mga nasa Malacanang, alam ninyo. The Armed Forces of the Philippines, alam ninyo. May drug addict tayo na presidente! Put******* ‘yan!,” Duterte said during the Candle Light Prayer Rally in Davao City.
The former president likewise alleged that Marcos Jr. is part of the personalities involved in illegal narcotics.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency denied the former president’s claims, saying that the incumbent president “is not and was never” on its watchlist.
“It is worthwhile to note that, when the former President took over in 2016, his administration came out with a list, which was then initially called the ‘narco-list,’ sometimes referred to as the Duterte list, and upon continuing validation and revalidation, it became the Inter-Agency Drug Information Database or IDI,” the PDEA said.
PDEA noted that Marcos is “also not in the said list” of the said narco-list.
The Candle Light Prayer Rally in Davao City coincided with the “Bagong Pilipinas” Marcos led at the Quirino Grandstand, which showed, several critics said that the rift between the two political families had worsened.
Vice President Sara Duterte attended the prayer rally in support of her father’s group of “opposition” to charter change, but she was also seen at Marcos’ Bagong Pilipinas rally in Quirino Grandstand hours earlier.
“Mahalagang makita at maintindihan natin ang panganib na nakaamba sa atin oras na tuluyan nating isinuko ang ating Saligang Batas sa kamay ng mga taong may personal at politikal na interes,” she said in a statement.
Key figures from the Duterte administration, including Harry Roque, also attended the “Hakbang ng Maisug” Leaders Forum, which was dubbed as the campaign against the amendment of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
Mayor Duterte told Marcos Jr. in his speech to resign if he has no “love and aspirations” for the Philippines.
“The next following statements will be you know, it will be my own perception and my personal view of this president: you are lazy and you lack compassion,” the younger Duterte said.
Marcos Jr.’s former executive secretary and lawyer Vic Rodriguez was also present during the forum, to which he delivered a speech and upbraided the “Bagong Pilipinas” rally claiming that attendees in the Davao forum were not forced to participate, nor they will be receiving leave credits upon successful attendance of the kick-off.
According to the Philippine Communications Office, the “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign is Marcos’ “brand of governance and leadership.”
The campaign was marked by strife between the two highest political leaders amid talks on constitutional amendment and the alleged presence of investigators from the International Criminal Court in the Philippines who are seeking an inquiry into the controversial war on drugs campaign of the Duterte administration.
