MANILA, Philippines — How do you know if President Rodrigo Duterte was indeed joking about him taking marijuana?
Take a drug test.
On Thursday, opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV renewed this challenge to the President following his remark that he was using marijuana to keep himself awake but later said he was just joking about it.
“Duterte is desperately trying to contain the damage of his admission about marijuana use by saying it is just a joke,” Trillanes, staunch critic of the President, said in a text message.
“Too late! Bistado na sya na isa rin pala syang durugista. Now, if he really wants to clear himself, I am again calling on him to take a drug test,” the senator added.
Duterte first cracked his joke about marijuana in a speech last Monday.
“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,” he said.
READ: Duterte admits using marijuana to keep him awake
In an interview after the speech, the President said he was just joking.
“Plastic ang gamit ko. Plastic na marijuana,” Duterte told reporters in an interview.
READ: Duterte on ‘admission’ to marijuana use: ‘It was a joke’
The President again cracked another marijuana joke in a speech Wednesday.
“Inaantok ako. Sinong may marijuana diyan?” Duterte said. /muf