Fentanyl is legal, cocaine is not, says ex-presidential spox

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday defended former President Rodrigo Duterte's use of fentanyl, saying the painkiller is legal.

Roque made the remark after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attributed to fentanyl use Duterte’s allegations that he is a drug addict.

“Legal naman po ang fentanyl,” Roque said in an ambush interview.

Roque added, “ang cocaine ay ang pinagbabawal (it is cocaine that is illegal).”

While discussing his health early during his term in 2016, Duterte said he was given a prescription for fentanyl due to spinal pain.

He said he was supposed to only use a fourth of a patch until he accidentally slapped on a whole.

"You have never been to paradise but I've been there. Parang paradise noong gamit ko (It's like paradise when I used it)," he added.

He said he was reprimanded by his doctor when the latter saw that he was using an entire patch.

Marcos' remarks on Duterte's fentanyl use came after Duterte had called Marcos “bangag (high),” accusing him of being a drug addict.

Duterte also said Marcos was on the drug watch list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency during his term.

When asked to categorically deny the allegations, Marcos laughed and said, “I won't even dignify the question."

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has issued a statement saying that Marcos was never on its drug watch list.

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic.

It said fentanyl produces effects such as relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction, and respiratory depression. —NB, GMA Integrated News