Philippines' Marcos blames fentanyl for Duterte's drug accusations

MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Monday brushed off accusations by Rodrigo Duterte that he was a “drug addict”, saying his predecessor’s long-term use of fentanyl had taken a toll on his health.

Marcos’s comments came after Duterte launched a foul-mouthed tirade against his successor over a campaign to change the country’s constitution, in the latest sign of a breakdown in relations between the powerful families.

Fronting a rally of supporters in his southern stronghold of Davao city on Sunday, Duterte said Marcos was a “drug addict” and had been included in the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) list of people linked to illegal drugs.

Duterte provided no evidence for the accusations and the PDEA issued a statement on Monday saying Marcos “is not and was never in its watch list”.

“I think it’s the fentanyl,” Marcos told reporters when asked about Duterte’s allegations.

“It’s highly addictive, and it has very serious side effects. PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) has been taking the drug for a very long time now,” Marcos said.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid many times more powerful than heroin.

Duterte, whose bloody crackdown on narcotics left thousands of people dead and sparked an international investigation, has previously admitted using fentanyl for pain relief.

The two families formed a formidable alliance ahead of the 2022 elections, with Marcos successfully running for president and Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte, for vice president.

Since then, however, their so-called “Unity Team” has fractured as they seek to shore up their respective support bases and secure key positions ahead of next year’s mid-term elections and the 2028 presidential race.

Sara Duterte and Marcos’s cousin and House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez are widely expected to run for president.