Pimentel: Duterte ‘never touched marijuana in his entire life’

President Rodrigo Duterte has “never touched marijuana in his entire life,” Senator Koko Pimentel said Monday.

In a message to reporters, Pimentel said he talked to the President, who “told me just now that he has never touched marijuana his entire life.”

Pimentel, an ally of Duterte, issued the statement after the President said in a speech at a formal event in Malacañang that he used marijuana to stay awake amid his hectic schedule during the 33rd Asean Summit in Singapore.

“It’s a killing activity, and I think that at my age—ako hindi masyado, kasi nagmamarijuana ako eh, para magising. Sa iba, hindi na kaya,” Duterte said.

READ: Duterte admits using marijuana to keep him awake

However, a couple of hours later, Mr. Duterte said his “admission” was only “a joke.”

Asked by the media about his supposed confession, Duterte said: “Of course, kayong media (talaga).”

READ: Duterte on ‘admission’ to marijuana use: ‘It was a joke’

Pimentel backed Duterte’s explanation even saying the President only made the joke in “relation to his (Duterte) story that the schedule he was being required to follow was a punishing one from 8:30 a.m. up to midnight.” /kga