Bongbong Marcos says he took cocaine test; camp says result negative

Former senator and presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. said Tuesday that he took a cocaine test and submitted the negative result to law enforcement agencies.

Marcos issued the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte said last week that a presidential aspirant is using cocaine, a prohibited substance.

"I really don’t feel that I am the one being alluded to. In spite of that, I believe it is my inherent duty as an aspiring public official to assure my fellow Filipinos that I am against illegal drugs," Marcos, Jr. said.

"This is why I took a cocaine test yesterday and the result was submitted this morning to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the office of the Chief of the PNP (Philippine National Police) and the National Bureau of Investigation. Let me reiterate my assurance to my fellowmen, especially to the supporters of BBM-Sara Uniteam, that I am, and will remain, a vigilant anti-illegal drugs campaigner," he added.

The former senator was referring to his running mate, presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

In a separate interview, Marcos Jr.'s spokesperson Vic Rodriguez said that he submitted to the authorities two drug test reports dated November 10 and 22.

Rodriguez said that Marcos Jr. first took a drug test on November 10, in compliance with the requirements for obtaining a permit to carry a firearm.

“The November 10 is essentially a drug test as a prerequisite for the issuance of a permit to carry firearms outside of residence. So nakuhaan na siya nung (He took a drug test on) November 10 but November 10 ang scope lang pala ng drug testing ng (but the scope of drug testing in the) crime laboratory of the PNP covers only shabu and marijuana,” he said.

“So nung naglabasan ‘yung panawagan ng ating pinuno ng pambansang pulisya sa lahat ng nagnanais na kumandidato na mag undergo ng testing, minarapat ni presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos na sumailalim muli sa drug testing but this time specifically for cocaine. At yun nga ang isinagawa kahapon sa SLMC (St. Luke’s Medical Center) sa BGC (Bonifacio Global City) at ang resulta, kagaya ng binigay ko sa inyo ay negative,” he added.

(So when the national police chief urged all those who wanted to run to undergo testing, Marcos Jr. decided to do it again, but this time specifically for cocaine. And that is exactly what was done yesterday at SLMC in BGC, and the result, which I gave you, was negative.)

Marcos Jr. also called on his fellow aspirants to take the drug test even if the Supreme Court already ruled that requiring candidates to take a drug test is illegal as it is not provided under the Constitution.

"I'm calling again all elective aspirants to take the drug test to ensure our people, particularly the young generation, that no elected leader is into illegal substances," he added.

Senators Panfilo Lacson and Vicente Sotto III, who are running for president and vice president, respectively, in Eleksyon 2022, also took drug tests on Monday and publicly showed their negative results. —KG/VBL, GMA News