SENATOR Imee Marcos has urged the Malacañang to issue a comprehensive report on the circumstances surrounding the death of Rustan’s retail empire heir, Juan Paolo Tantoco.
In a statement on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Marcos, elder sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said the Malacañang should also explain the alleged “direct or indirect” involvement of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos or other Philippine government officials in the incident.
“In recent days, reports have circulated online and in various public fora that the untimely death of Mr. Paolo Tantoco on 8 March 2025 in Los Angeles was caused by ‘cocaine effects.’ Some reports further suggest that Mr. Tantoco was ‘apparently’ part of the entourage of the First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos who was in Los Angeles at that time to promote the Manila International Film Festival,” Senator Marcos said.
“More troubling are claims circulating online that the First Lady may have personal knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Mr. Tantoco's death -- with some alleging that she was present at the scene either shortly before, during, or immediately after the incident,” he added.
Senator Marcos called on the Malacañang to clarify the First Lady's whereabouts at the relevant time, as may be reflected in official records such as the Medical Examiner's Report, to dispel further speculation.
The Los Angeles Deputy Medical Officer earlier confirmed that Tantoco, 44, died of a cocaine overdose at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, USA on March 8, 2025.
The examiner ruled the death was accidental, with cocaine effects as the cause and probable atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease as a contributing factor.
Tantoco was in Los Angeles as part of the entourage that promoted the Manila International Film Festival in Hollywood from March 4 to 7. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)