FORMER president and PDP Chairman Rodrigo Duterte has once again accused President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. of drug use, claiming he is addicted to heroin.
Speaking at the PDP senatorial proclamation rally at Club Filipino in San Juan City on Thursday, February 13, 2025, Duterte alleged that Marcos' drug use could severely impact his health in the long run.
"Merong isang Presidente na talagang bangag. Hindi naman buang, pero yung bisyo ng droga long term yan. Maging ulol si Marcos. Maybe constant use of heroin, aabot pa siguro siya ng 80, pero sa panahon na ‘yan, hindi na siya gumagalaw (There is a President who is truly out of his mind. Not crazy, but long-term drug addiction could make Marcos insane. With constant heroin use, he might live to 80, but by then, he wouldn’t be able to move anymore),” he said.
Duterte further alleged that criminals would act without fear under Marcos’ leadership because he is "one of them.
He also criticized the Marcos administration, saying it had "fallen short of expectations" in addressing the country's issues.
This is not the first time Duterte has made such claims. On January 28, 2024, during a prayer rally in Davao City, he repeatedly called Marcos a "drug addict," accusing him of always being "bangag" (high on drugs).
Duterte claimed he had intelligence reports from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) linking Marcos to drug use. However, PDEA denied that Marcos was on their drug watch list.
In November 2021, months before the 2022 national elections, Duterte also hinted that one of the presidential candidates was a "weak leader" and a cocaine user, a remark widely speculated to be directed at Marcos. RGP with reports from TPM