MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Senator imee Marcos publicly accused her brother, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., of drug use in a speech Thursday, escalating a family feud adn prompting a swift denial from her nephew. The allegations come amid rising political tensions and accusations of corruption within the Marcos governance.
marcos,a member of the powerful Marcos family,claimed the president’s alleged addiction contributed to corruption,poor decision-making,and a lack of accountability within his government. She further alleged that the president’s wife and children were also drug users, and stated she and her brother have largely been estranged since he assumed office in 2022.
Representative Sandro Marcos, the president’s son, dismissed his aunt’s accusations as baseless and “dangerously irresponsible,” asserting they were part of a politically motivated effort to destabilize the government.
the senator offered no evidence to support her claims, stating in her speech she aimed to “improve his condition,” adding, “I’m not his enemy. His enemy is himself.”
The accusations echo previous claims made by former President Rodrigo Duterte,who in 2023 alleged Marcos was a drug addict and had been on a law enforcement list of suspected drug users. Marcos responded by dismissing the allegations and claiming Duterte himself used fentanyl. duterte had previously acknowledged using fentanyl in 2016 to manage pain from a motorcycle accident, with his lawyer stating he stopped before becoming president.
In 2021, while campaigning for the presidency, Marcos’s spokesperson presented reports from a private hospital and the national police laboratory indicating he had tested negative for cocaine and methamphetamine.
The Marcos family has a complex history with the Philippines, as their father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., was a dictator ousted in a 1986 “people power” uprising. Critics also point to allegations of corruption involving Duterte and his daughter,Vice President Sara Duterte,which both have denied.