‘Not my sister’: Philippines’ Marcos hits back at sibling over cocaine claims
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Ms Imee Marcos, a sitting senator, seen here with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in earlier days, claimed that the president and his wife used cocaine.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MANILA – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr took a swipe at his sister Imee, who publicly accused him of using illegal drugs at a time of growing public anger over corruption in the government.
“The lady that you see talking on TV is not my sister. And that view is shared by our cousins, our friends,” Mr Marcos told a briefing on Nov 24 when asked to comment on his older sister’s remarks last week.
“We are very worried about her. I hope she feels better soon,” Mr Marcos added.
Ms Imee Marcos, a sitting senator, claimed during a huge rally protesting against graft in the state’s flood-control projects that the president and his wife used cocaine
She said the president’s vice is to blame for the rampant corruption and the absence of accountability in government.
Responding to her brother’s comment, Ms Imee said Nov 24 on her Facebook account: “Prove me wrong – I want to be wrong.”
Ms Imee’s allegations laid bare the depth of the rift within the South-east Asian nation’s ruling family, which saw the peak of their political comeback in the 2022 elections, more than three decades after their late dictator-father Ferdinand Marcos was ousted by a popular revolt in 1986.
The exchange of tirades between the siblings comes as the Marcos administration deepens its crackdown on the multibillion-dollar corruption in flood infrastructure
In 2024, the president traded accusations of drug use with his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, whose allegations against Mr Marcos were denied by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Ms Imee also has thrown her support behind Vice-President Sara Duterte, Mr Marcos’ ally turned political rival in their high-profile feud.
The vice-president had previously dared Mr Marcos to undergo a drug test.
The president said he hasn’t spoken with his sister. “We no longer travel in the same circles, political or otherwise,” Mr Marcos said. BLOOMBERG
