Senator Imee Marcos on Monday accused her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and their children of using illegal drugs, urging the President to seek treatment.
Marcos made her statements on the second day of the Iglesia Ni Cristo’s peace rally at Quirino Grandstand in Manila, an event that drew more than 300,000 attendees.
Marcos said the President’s drug use was known to the family since their childhood.
She added that the problem worsened after he married Liza Araneta Marcos and that the presidential children, including Ilocos Norte Representative Sandro Marcos, were also involved.
The senator alleged that the First Family encouraged other relatives to use illegal drugs.
She recalled that, in the past, Presidential Guards had helped clean drug paraphernalia after party sessions and said that encouraging her brother to marry Liza had been a mistake because it worsened his addiction.
The senator also claimed that during Marcos Jr.’s term as Ilocos Norte governor, he frequently skipped official duties, and there were reports of daily marijuana and cocaine use along with drinking by the President, the First Lady, and their associates.
She said the President had been included in a 2016 “narco-list” under former President Rodrigo Duterte and that she had urged Duterte to focus on drug pushers rather than users.
The senator called on her brother to return home and seek treatment for his health, saying their relationship had grown distant after he won the presidency in 2022.
She linked the alleged drug use to corruption and poor decision-making in government.
Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro refuted the allegations, noting the President’s previous negative drug tests and questioning Imee Marcos’ motives.
She said authorities should focus on identifying those truly responsible for corruption rather than tarnishing the President’s name.
No official documents or independent evidence have been released to corroborate the senator’s claims.
