Philippine President Marcos rejects sister’s accusation of chronic drug use

The accusations from his estranged sister travel arsenic the Philippine president faces a corruption ungraded implicit flood-control projects.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has rejected accusations by his estranged sister, Senator Imee Marcos, that helium has been a semipermanent cause user, astatine a clip erstwhile the state is witnessing wide protests against corruption.

On Monday, the legislator alleged that her member had developed a cocaine dependency that affected his governance, contributing to corruption and mediocre decision-making.

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Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro, the president’s spokesperson, dismissed the claims arsenic baseless, describing them arsenic recycled accusations that person agelong been disproved.

Speaking to a ample assemblage astatine a Manila parkland rally organised by a spiritual group, Senator Imee said her brother’s cause usage began during the presidency of their father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr — who ruled from 1965 to 1986 — and continues to this day.

Then-President Rodrigo Duterte (R) speaks with Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos during a gathering connected Cebu Island, Philippines, connected August 21, 2018 [Jay Rommel Labra/EPA]

Without providing evidence, she claimed the president’s addiction became the origin of a “flood of corruption, the deficiency of absorption and precise incorrect decisions, the lack of accountability and justice”. She besides alleged that the president’s woman and children were progressive successful cause use.

Castro criticised the legislator for not addressing erstwhile President Rodrigo Duterte, who has acknowledged past fentanyl usage and, according to critics, whitethorn beryllium linked to corruption on with his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte. Both person denied wrongdoing.

When Marcos Jr was campaigning for the presidency successful 2021, his spokesperson released reports from a backstage infirmary and the nationalist constabulary laboratory showing helium tested antagonistic for cocaine and methamphetamine.

Allegations amid corruption scandal

Castro has labelled Imee’s statements arsenic a distraction from ongoing investigations into a corruption scandal involving flood power projects that whitethorn implicate immoderate of her Senate allies.

“Sen Imee, I anticipation you’ll beryllium a patriot and assistance successful the probe that your ain member has been doing and condemn each the corrupt,” Castro said. “Don’t broadside with them, don’t fell them. Let President Marcos enactment to halt each the corruption.”

Marcos’s medication is investigating alleged corruption linked to shade flood-control projects that outgo taxpayers billions of pesos. Officials are accused of pocketing kickbacks from contracts to conception thousands of flood defences, galore of which were either made with substandard materials oregon ne'er built.

The Department of Finance estimates that the Philippine system mislaid up to 118.5 cardinal pesos ($2bn) from 2023 to 2025 owed to corruption successful flood-control projects. The country’s economical readying curate has said up to 70 percent of nationalist flood-control funds whitethorn person been mislaid since the ungraded surfaced.

The situation comes arsenic the Philippines has faced much than 20 storms this year. Most recently, Typhoon Kalmaegi killed astatine slightest 269 successful aboriginal November, followed days aboriginal by Typhoon Fung-wong, displacing 1.4 cardinal radical and sidesplitting 28.

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered successful Manila connected Sunday, demanding accountability from authorities, including allies of Marcos. The three-day rally organised by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), oregon Church of Christ – a almighty Philippine spiritual radical – drew hundreds of thousands of participants and disrupted schools, roads, and offices.

Marcos has promised that officials progressive successful the ungraded would look ineligible enactment by the extremity of the year. “They’ll beryllium jailed – there’s nary merry Christmas for them,” helium said.

The INC had endorsed the candidacies of Marcos and Sara Duterte successful 2022. However, aft a falling-out betwixt Marcos and Sara Duterte, the INC has shifted its enactment towards Duterte, the vice president.

Despite mounting up a sheet to analyse alleged corruption, nary notable arrests person been made astir 100 days into the inquiry. Marcos, whose begetter faced accusations of wide corruption, framed the crackdown arsenic portion of a broader run for transparency and accountability.

A caller canvass from the societal probe institute Social Weather Stations, however, indicated that much than 80 percent of Metro Manila residents judge corruption has worsened nether Marcos’s administration.