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Marcos rejects call for hair follicle drug test: It has nothing to do with public trust


President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has rejected calls for him to undergo a hair follicle drug test, saying it has no connection with the constitutional principle that public office is a public trust.

Marcos was responding to the call of his former executive secretary, Vic Rodriguez, during GMA Network's 'Tanong ng Bayan: The GMA Senatorial Face-Off 2025' which aired on Saturday, February 1.

Rodriguez has been urging Marcos to undergo a credible hair follicle test to once and for all dismiss allegations on the president's alleged drug use.

"No, no. Why should I do that?... 'Public office is a public trust' has nothing to do with the follicle test. Wala namang koneksyon ang sinasabi niya [Whatever he is saying has no connection]," Marcos said in an ambush interview in Pasay City Friday.

"He’s always had that weakness every time he --- when he was still working for me. If you believe in what he was saying, why did he work for me?" the President quipped.

During the Tanong ng Bayan: The GMA Senatorial Face-Off, Rodriguez said all elected and appointed government officials should undergo a mandatory drug testing, including Marcos.

Marcos' former lawyer cited Article 11, Section 1, of the Philippine Constitution, which states that, “Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.”

“Bakit ang mga security guard bago ma-hire sa trabaho, kinakailangan sumailalim sa drug testing? Ang pagiging opisyal ng gobyerno, ikaw ay humihipo ng pera ng mamamayang Pilipino. Higit na mataas dapat ang standard natin sa mga naglilingkod sa gobyerno,” the former executive secretary said.

“Ang usaping droga ay hindi bangayan ng dalawang nagbabanggaang pamilya sa politika. Ito ay tunay na nangyayari’t nagaganap sa ating bansa. Kaya ako ay naninindigan na dapat sumailalim ang lahat ng opisyal ng pamahalaan at simulan natin sa tanggapan ng Pangulo,” he added.

(The drug issue is not an issue of the two clashing political families. This is really happening in our country. So I’m maintaining that all government officials should undergo the mandatory drug testing, and let's start this with the Office of the President.)

Rodriguez made a specific call to Marcos, urging him to undergo an “open, transparent, and credible” hair follicle drug test.

He stressed that every Filipino, especially the youth, has the right to know if they are being led by a person with the right mindset.

“‘Yung drug test na ipinakita [dati], that was during the campaign period. Sometime November of 2021. Doon namin ipinakita ‘yung negative drug test [ni Marcos]. Subalit nagpapatuloy ‘yung isyu ng paggamit ng droga ng mga matataas na opisyal ng ating pamahalaan,” he said.

Rodriguez first made the call in April 2024 after former President Rodrigo Duterte mentioned Marcos' alleged illegal drug use.

(Just a clarification, Marcos’ negative drug test result was shown during the campaign period sometime in November of 2021. But the issue of drug use by high officials of our government still persisted from then.)

“Para matapos na ang istoryang ito sapagkat ito ay interes ng lahat ng Pilipino, sumailalim na sa isang open at transparent and credible hair follicle drug test ang lahat,” he continued.

(Everyone should undergo an open, transparent, and credible hair follicle drug test so that this issue can end. After all, it is in the interest of all Filipinos.)

Rodriguez clarified that the drug test taken by Marcos during the campaign period was not a  hair follicle test.

Duterte in January called Marcos "bangag" (high on drugs), only to take it back in February, saying he never accused Marcos of being into illegal drugs.

To recall, it was Rodriguez, during his time as then-presidential candidate Marcos' spokesperson, who detailed to the media the drug test that the latter took in 2021.

Back then, Rodriguez vouched for the veracity of the negative drug test result of Marcos Jr.

"Hindi namin papansinin ang mga tao o grupo na likas ang pagkakaroon ng negatibong pananaw sa buhay. Walang sasapat na paliwanag sa mga ayaw mapaliwanagan at hindi namin kayang ipaunawa sa mga sadyang ayaw umunawa," Rodriguez said in 2021.

[We will not pay attention to those people or group who have negative outlook in their lives. There would be no sufficient explanation to those who refuse to hear our explanation.]

Rodriguez is now aligned with the Dutertes, who have been bickering with the president and his allies. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News

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