MALACAÑANG on Tuesday said the First Family has no immediate plans to pursue legal action against Senator Ma. Imelda Josefa Remedios “Imee” R. Marcos, after she publicly accused her brother President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and members of his family of using illegal drugs.
Ms. Marcos on Monday night accused her brother and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos among others, of using drugs during the second day of the Iglesia ni Cristo rally in Manila, which drew a crowd of more than half a million.
Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro, who earlier dismissed the statement as a “desperate move,” said the Palace would “wait and see” how the issue unfolds, adding that any potential investigation would fall under the jurisdiction of agencies such as the Department of Justice or the Office of the Ombudsman.
“These issues have long been debunked,” she told a briefing, citing previous drug test results and findings that artificial intelligence-generated videos circulating online were fake.
Ms. Castro is also confident that it is unlikely that the allegations will affect the President’s governance or international perception.
“We know that the international community assesses, evaluates based on the right data and facts. So, the only ones who can be deceived by these are people who do not think, or those whose sole aim is to destroy the government of President Marcos, Jr.,” she said in mixed English and Filipino.
She said that Malacañang is still reviewing the statements made by Ms. Marcos and other accusers.
The Marcos siblings have been at odds since last year following Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s resignation as Education secretary and public threats against the First Couple. Ms. Marcos and Ms. Duterte are close allies.
Ms. Castro also dismissed suggestions that the allegations — ranging from corruption claims circulated by former congressman Elizaldy S. Co to the senator’s recent statements — have triggered public outrage toward the President.
Ms. Castro urged the former House Appropriations Chair to return to the Philippines and present evidence to support his allegations, which she described as baseless.
Asked if the President feels compelled to address allegations of corruption and drug use personally, Ms. Castro questioned the need for him to respond to accusations she said lack credible sources.
‘WEB OF LIES’In a statement on Tuesday, House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos III, who is also accused by the senator, said “it pains me to see how low she has gone to the point that she resorts to a web of lies aimed at destabilizing this government to advance her own political ambitions.”
The presidential son likewise said that his aunt’s accusations were baseless, calling them “not only false, but dangerously irresponsible.”
Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said he found Ms. Marcos’ actions as “very un-Filipino,” saying it is within Filipino culture to keep quarrels within the confines of the home.
“To bring your conflict in front of hundreds of thousands of people at the Luneta, to me that’s unacceptable as a Filipino,” Mr. Lacson said in a statement.
Mr. Lacson added that he was disappointed with the recent remarks from the presidential sister, noting that the rally was hardly the place for such accusations.
“She could have done this in another forum, but not to make accusations whether true or not in front of hundreds of thousands of people,” he said, noting this was driven by political motives.
“Why discredit your own brother in front of hundreds of thousands of people?”
Separately, Senate President Vicente “Tito” C. Sotto III said in a Viber message to reporters that her allegations could be “It could be the defining moment of her political career.”
Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a senior research fellow at the Ateneo de Manila University Policy Center, said Ms. Marcos’ remarks could be a “fatal misstep” due to the potential blowbacks.
“Now we know that she happily campaigned for him in 2022, knowing fully well that he was unfit,” he said, adding her move gives the Dutertes leverage to sow political discord amid growing public outrage against corruption.
“So, this looks more like a move to provide material for content creation to be used in political warfare.” — Chloe Mari A. Hufana and Adrian H. Halili