Malacañang fired back on Sunday after Vice President Sara Duterte publicly challenged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take a hair follicle drug test to prove he’s not using illegal drugs.
In a calm but firm statement, Palace Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro reminded the public of something important — something she says VP Sara seems to have forgotten.
She pointed out that during the Duterte administration, when then-President Rodrigo Duterte was urged to take a drug test, the official response was clear: no one can order the President to do it.
“Has she forgotten what the former Palace spokesperson said back then—that you cannot command the President to take a drug test?” Castro stressed.
The tension grew after VP Sara insisted that government leaders must not refuse drug tests, neuropsychiatric tests, or any exam that checks their competence to lead.
Castro then made a striking remark. She recalled how former president Duterte previously admitted using marijuana and fentanyl, saying he enjoyed the “cloud 9 feeling.”
It was a reminder that echoed loudly given the current accusations.
Despite the noise, Castro emphasized that President Marcos Jr. has stayed focused on his work and continues to go after corrupt officials. She contrasted this with the behavior of others who, she said, have shown signs of rage, threats, and uncontrolled anger.
“That is the behavior of someone acting high… under the influence of illegal drugs,” she noted.
But the allegations didn’t stop there.
VP Sara doubled down, claiming that people who attended parties with the First Family supposedly saw them using illegal drugs. And the accusations grew even heavier after Senator Imee Marcos spoke at the Iglesia Ni Cristo rally in Luneta.
In the rally, Imee accused her own brother — President Marcos — First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and their friends of drug use. She even claimed the President’s children, including Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, were involved too. According to her, they had also urged her and other relatives to try illegal drugs.
Senator Imee then dared the First Family to take a hair follicle drug test, in exchange for her taking a DNA test to end questions about her parentage.
In a separate statement, the Palace said President Marcos was deeply disappointed with Imee’s claims and had already dismissed her calls for another drug test.
Castro stressed that Marcos had already tested negative in a drug test before the election — a test she said the camp of Senator Imee themselves requested.
“Even St. Luke’s issued a certificate confirming the President tested negative,” she added. “So what now? Is the goal simply to destroy the President? What will they demand next? They expect the President to follow all these orders? He is not gullible.”
As the accusations continue to shake the First Family, the Palace remains firm:
the President has already been cleared — and they say no amount of pressure will force him to take another test.
