Former president Rodrigo Duterte accused current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of being a “drug addict” during a protest rally in Davao City. The event, framed as a stance against the Marcos administration’s charter change initiative, saw Duterte unleashing a barrage of insults, asserting that Marcos was perpetually under the influence of drugs.
“Bongbong, bangag ‘yan. That’s why sinasabi ko sa inyo. Si Bongbong Marcos bangag noon. Ngayong presidente na, bangag ang ating presidente. Kayong mga military alam ninyo ‘yan, lalo na ‘yong mga nasa Malacañang, alam ninyo. The Armed Forces of the Philippines, alam ninyo. May drug addict tayo na presidente! Putang inang ‘yan!” Duterte declared at the rally.
Duterte also claimed to have seen Marcos’ name in the list of drug personalities maintained by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) during his tenure as mayor. However, PDEA denied these allegations, stating that Marcos “was never in our NIDS” and had never been on its watch list.
In response to Duterte’s claims, PDEA questioned why Marcos had not been named earlier if such allegations were true. The agency highlighted that Duterte, during his presidency, released his own lists of individuals involved in drugs, which never mentioned Marcos.
The rally also shed light on Duterte’s grievances against the current administration, particularly its non-interference stance on the International Criminal Court’s probe into Duterte’s alleged crimes during his anti-drug campaign. Duterte’s frustration was evident as he questioned the actions of the ICC and the current administration.
Furthermore, Duterte’s son, Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, criticized President Marcos for allowing the ICC probe, especially considering Duterte’s decision to grant a hero’s burial to Marcos’ father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
The allegations against Marcos are not new; Duterte had previously hinted at exposing Marcos’ supposed drug use. In November 2021, he insinuated that a leading presidential candidate, who matched Marcos’ profile, was a cocaine user. However, Marcos Jr. had undergone drug testing in 2022, showing negative results for cocaine and shabu (meth), effectively countering these allegations.
The rally concluded with Duterte cautioning President Marcos about the potential repercussions of pursuing charter change, drawing parallels with the fate of Marcos’ ousted father. Despite Duterte’s own past efforts to initiate charter change, he warned of the risks involved, setting the stage for a tense political showdown.