PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remains unmoved by his older sister’s accusations that he is a drug addict, maintaining that he is focused on his duties despite the political noise, according to Malacañang.
While the President dismisses the family feud, Presidential Communications Secretary Dave Gomez said the administration is grappling with a “pandemic of lies” and substantive governance crises, including the filing of graft charges against former Ako Bicol Party-list representative Elizalde “Zaldy” Co and a contentious Cabinet shakeup involving former executive secretary Lucas Bersamin.
How will this convergence of personal attacks, corruption allegations and internal administrative turmoil affect the President’s ability to lead?
Palace reaction. During a rally on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, Sen. Imee Marcos claimed the President and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos have long been “drug addicts.” Presidential Communications Secretary Dave Gomez said that Marcos refuses to be distracted by these claims.
“Governance does not stop. At napakalaki ‘yung hamon sa atin (The challenge is enormous for us). Napakalaki ng responsibilidad ng ating Pangulo (The President carries great responsibility). And he will not stop. He will not dignify any and all of these wild allegations that are swirling around at the moment,” Gomez said.
Gomez noted that the President had already addressed this issue during the 2022 campaign.
“The President underwent a drug test at a reputable hospital, St. Luke’s, and the result of that drug test was negative for cocaine use. The result of that drug test is that more than 30 million Filipinos voted for Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to be the next president. So that’s an old tune. And if I may quote a cliché, this has seemed to be a tale as old as time,” Gomez said in a mix of Tagalog and English.
He expressed regret over the source of the attacks.
“It is indeed saddening that this (attack) came from your own sibling. This is very unusual in our Filipino culture. That’s why the President will not dignify this. Our President will not stoop to this level,” Gomez said.
Criminal charges. In another development, the Office of the Ombudsman filed criminal charges before the Sandiganbayan on Tuesday, Nov. 18, against Co and others regarding a P289 million road dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano detailed the irregularities found in the project.
“This led to several critical observations. Number one, the measured sheet pile did not meet the 12-meter specification. The material was substandard. It is highly possible that all other sheet piles used in the project were also below specification, and these findings point to a scheme that resulted in unwarranted benefits, technical falsification and the misuse of public funds,” Clavano said.
Co, who is currently abroad, denied the charges and alleged that kickbacks from budget insertions were delivered to Speaker Martin Romualdez and President Marcos.
On Wednesday, Nov. 19, the anti-graft court raffled off the graft and malversation cases filed against Co and several co-accused. Following the raffle, the Fifth Division received one graft case under Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft Law, the Seventh Division another graft case under Section 3(h) and the Sixth Division the malversation charge. Prosecutors recommended no bail for the malversation case, citing the amount involved exceeded P8.8 million.
The raffle marks the start of formal trial proceedings, with possible arrest orders expected against the accused. The cases are the first set of criminal charges filed in court over the controversial project, which has drawn scrutiny for alleged misuse of public funds.
Bersamin’s exit. The corruption probe has extended into the Cabinet, leading to conflicting narratives regarding the departure of Bersamin. While the Palace announced his “voluntary resignation” due to delicadeza over implicated flood control anomalies, Bersamin insisted he was forced out.
“I did not resign. Earlier on Nov. 17, someone called to tell me I had to go as the [executive secretary]. The call was not from Malacañang. I informed the President by text that I had no problem exiting. Around 2 p.m., the [Presidential Communications Office] reportedly announced my resignation ‘out of delicadeza.’ Still, I had not submitted any letter at that time,” Bersamin said.
Bersamin denied involvement in the alleged budget insertions involving the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Resignation “not an option.” Despite corruption allegations, the Palace asserts that the President’s leadership is secure. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed that stepping down is not under consideration.
“The President is still working and keeps on working for the country, so hindi po option sa administrasyon, sa Pangulo ang pagbibitiw (Resignation is not an option for the administration or the President),” she said.
“Ang Pangulo ay matapang na haharapin kung anuman ang suliranin ng bansa at silang mga nag-iingay, sila ay ingay lamang (The President will bravely face whatever problems the country encounters, and those who are making noise are just that — noise),” Castro said. / TPM / SUNSTAR PHILIPPINES