Bongbong Marcos was never on gov’t drugs watch list — PDEA

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was never on the government watch list for illegal drugs, according to the  Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Monday.

Last Sunday, former president Rodrigo Duterte made the controversial claim that Marcos used illegal drugs during a prayer rally against Charter-change in Davao. Duterte claimed that when he was mayor, the PDEA showed him proof that Marcos was on their narcotics list.

READ: Marcos ‘resign’ – Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte

“The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency categorically states that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr is not [on] its watch list, contrary to the statement of former President Rodrigo Duterte, claiming that ‘when he was the Mayor of Davao, he was shown evidence by PDEA that in the list, the name of the president was there,’” said the PDEA in a statement.

The PDEA said that Duterte was Davao Mayor from 1988 to 1998, 2001 to 2010 and 2013 to 2016, however, the drug enforcement agency was only activated in 2002.

However, the PDEA pointed out that Duterte had his own narco-list when he became president in 2016. The agency said it merely revalidated Duterte’s list, which became the  Inter-Agency Drug Information Database.

READ: Duterte exposes 46 ‘narco politicians’

“The name of President Marcos is also not [on] the said list. Based on all the foregoing facts, the PDEA asserts that President Marcos Jr. is not and was never [on] its watch list,” said the PDEA.

The Dutertes’ tirade against Marcos, however, did not end in the illegal drugs claim.

Current Davao Mayor Sebastian Duterte, the former president Duterte’s son, also told Marcos to resign if he “does not have love and aspirations for the nation.”

Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, the highest-ranking official in the Davaoeño clan, Vice President Sara Duterte, has yet to comment on her family’s claims and statements. The Duterte daughter was Marcos’ running mate in the 2022 elections.