Philippine President Bongbong Marcos was recently foul-mouthed by former Filipino leader Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who said that Bongbong is a "drug addict."
This isn't the first time that Rodrigo Duterte attacked him. In 2021, the ex-Philippine president said that Bongbong Marcos was a weak leader who was only relying on his father's name to gain political power.
Now, he took his attack against him to the next level; accusing the Philippine leader of being in PDEA's drug watchlist. However, this was strongly denied by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Bongbong Marcos Drug Watchlist Allegation Denied by PDEA
Indonesia's President Joko Widodo (L) and Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gesture during their meeting at the Malacanang Palace in Manila on January 10, 2024.
On Monday, Jan. 29, the Presidential Communications Office announced on Facebook that PDEA "vehemently" denied the accusation made by the Davao strongman against Bongbong Marcos. Via its official news release, PCO said that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was never included by PDEA in its watchlist for persons linked to illegal drug activities.
PCO also quoted the remark made by PDEA, which contradicted the claims that Rodrigo Duterte shared during a protest rally in Davao City on Sunday, Jan. 28.
"Based on all the foregoing facts, the PDEA asserts that President Marcos Jr. is not and was never on its watchlist," said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
The Presidential Communications Office said that PDEA never placed Bongbong's name in its NDIS (National Drug Information System); an intelligence database of all drug personalities, which was established back in July 2002.
Aside from this, PDEA also stated that Bongbong Marcos wasn't included in the Inter-Agency Drug Information Database (IDI).
"It is worthwhile to note that, when the former President took over in 2016, his administration came out with a list, which was then initially called the 'narco-list, sometimes referred to as the Duterte list, and upon continuing validation and re-validation, it became the Inter-Agency Drug Information Database," explained PDEA.
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Rodrigo Duterte Foul-Mouthing Bongbong Marcos
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr delivers a speech during the kick-off rally for the New Philippines movement at Quirino Grandstand in Manila on January 28, 2024. Supporters of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte gathered for rival rallies on January 28.
Rodrigo Duterte foul-mouthed Bongbong Marcos as part of a protest rally organized by Duterte supporters for Vice President Sarah Duterte, who declared that she will run again for office in the 2025 midterm elections.
Although her daughter didn't specify the position she would focus on, Rodrigo Duterte still attacked Bongbong Marcos, saying that the Philippine president was "high" back then and still is now.
He even called out the Philippine military, as well as the Malacanang, claiming that they knew that Bongbong was a drug addict.
After saying these personal attacks, he claimed that he saw the president's name on PDEA's drug watchlist when he was still the mayor of Davao.
When he was done cursing the Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte talked about his real issue with the Filipino leader, which was his administration's decision to not intervene in the ICC's probe against the crime allegations of Duterte during his anti-drug campaign.
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