MALACAÑANG on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, said that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. remains focused on his duties despite prevailing political noise and controversies.
In a television interview, Presidential Communications Secretary Dave Gomez maintained that Marcos is unmoved by the “baseless claims,” even if they came from his own sister.
“Governance does not stop. Napakalaki ‘yung hamon sa atin. Napakalaki ng responsibilidad ng ating Pangulo. (The challenges before us are enormous. The responsibility of our President is enormous.) 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 urged the public to be discerning of the information they receive or share, noting the “pandemic of lies” circulating in the country.
During the INC rally at the Quirino Grandstand on Monday, November 17, Senator Imee Marcos claimed that the President and his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, have long been “drug addicts.”
Gomez said such accusations were already disproven by the President during the 2022 presidential campaign.
“Nagpa-drug test ang Pangulo sa isang reputable na ospital, sa St. Luke’s, at ang resulta ng drug test na ‘yun, negative sa cocaine use. Ang resulta ng drug test na ‘yun ay mahigit 30 million Filipinos voted for Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to be the next president. So lumang tugtugin na. And if I may quote a cliché, this has seemed to be a tale as old as time,” he said.
(The President took a drug test in a reputable hospital, St. Luke’s, and the result was negative for cocaine use. That drug test result was followed by more than 30 million Filipinos voting for Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to be the next president. So this is an old tune. This is a tale as old as time.)
“Nakakalungkot nga na nanggaling pa ito sa sarili mong kapatid. Napaka-pambihira ito sa kultura nating mga Pilipino. Kaya hindi na nga idi-dignify ng Pangulo ito. Hindi papatulan ng Pangulo natin ito,” he added.
(It is sad that this came from your own sibling. This is extremely unusual in Filipino culture.)
In a separate interview, Palace Press Officer Attorney Claire Castro said that although Marcos expressed dismay over his elder sister’s pronouncements, it will not make him step down from the presidency.
“The President is still working and keeps on working for the country, so hindi po option sa administrasyon, sa Pangulo, ang pagbibitiw,” she said.
(Resigning is not an option for the administration or for the President.)
“Ang Pangulo ay matapang na haharapin kung anuman ang suliranin ng bansa at silang mga nag-iingay, sila ay ingay lamang,” she added.
(The President will bravely face whatever problems the country has, and those who are making noise are nothing but noise.) (TPM/SunStar Philippines)