President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Senator Imee Marcos in separate appearances. The siblings became the center of a national controversy after the senator publicly accused the President of long-term drug use, a claim Malacañang rejected as without basis. (Photos courtesy of the Presidential Communications Office and the Senate of the Philippines)
MANILA – A new rift within one of the country’s most prominent political families erupted this week after Senator Imee Marcos publicly alleged that her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., has long used illegal drugs.
The accusation, delivered before a massive crowd at an Iglesia ni Cristo gathering on Monday, November 17, was swiftly rejected by Malacañang and members of the First Family, who pointed to official records and described the claim as baseless.
Speaking from the stage at the Quirino Grandstand, Senator Marcos said she had long been concerned about her brother’s well-being and decision-making. She expanded her allegation by naming members of the First Family and several individuals she identified as close to the President. No documents, medical records or laboratory findings were presented to substantiate her remarks.
Palace cites 2021 test results and PDEA clearance
In a livestream later that evening, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro dismissed the allegation as unfounded and pointed to the President’s previously disclosed drug tests. Castro cited Marcos’ voluntary test taken at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig in November 2021, which returned a negative result for cocaine. The test was released during the 2022 presidential campaign, and St. Luke’s later clarified that the printed report followed a standard format used by facilities authorized by the Department of Health to conduct dangerous drug testing.
Government records and widely reported accounts also show that Marcos tested negative for methamphetamine in a separate police laboratory test in 2021. In January 2024, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency issued a formal statement saying the President “is not and was never” on its illegal drug watch list, a clarification made after drug-related allegations surfaced in political speeches that year.
Palace officials told several Philippine media outlets there are no immediate plans to pursue legal action against Senator Marcos. Any review, they said, would fall under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Ombudsman or the Department of Justice.
First Family responds
The controversy widened as other members of the Marcos family weighed in. An Associated Press report said the President’s camp described the accusation as a recycled political attack already contradicted by publicly released drug tests. On Tuesday, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos issued a statement calling his aunt’s allegation “dangerously irresponsible” and reiterating that no member of the First Family uses illegal drugs.
The First Lady has not issued a direct statement addressing the allegation. On her verified social media account, Liza Araneta Marcos posted, “…and speaking of FAKE NEWS… ‘welcome to entertainment, Pinoy style,’” a comment widely understood as a response to a fabricated quote card circulating online that falsely attributed statements to her. The Presidential Communications Office recently clarified that one such quote attributed to her was fake.
Political reactions and broader context
The allegation drew reactions across the political spectrum. Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, the current chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and a longtime anti-corruption advocate, called the decision to raise such a claim at a mass religious event “un-Filipino,” saying that serious accusations of this nature should be brought through formal and accountable channels.
Palace officials, in separate interviews, suggested that the timing of the allegation may have been intended to distract from ongoing corruption and infrastructure investigations, though Senator Marcos did not link her remarks to any specific inquiry during her speech.
What public records confirm and do not confirm
Verified public documents confirm that President Marcos tested negative for cocaine and methamphetamine in 2021. PDEA’s 2024 statement similarly affirms that the President has never been on the agency’s drug watch list. These records, however, speak only to the specific tests disclosed at the time.
No new toxicology tests have been released by Malacañang, and no government agency has announced that further testing has been conducted.
