House justice panel members: No proof of Marcos’ alleged drug addiction

Several members of the House justice committee on Tuesday said the allegations of drug addiction against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are without evidence and basis.

The lawmakers made the assertion during discussions on the determination of the sufficiency in substance of the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus against Marcos.

The de Jesus complaint alleged that the President is unfit to govern due to his alleged drug use – a claim previously denied by Malacanang – and that he betrayed public trust.

House Deputy Minority Leader and ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima pointed out that “unfitness per se is not a ground for impeachment.”

“This is not a factual allegation because the ground must not only state a categorical allegation that President Bongbong Marcos is a drug addict and that this impairs the performance of his mandate, but must also include a recital of the alleged acts, events, and incidents that support the same,” said de Lima, a former justice secretary.

FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe cited the negative drug test of the President that was done at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in November 2021. This drug test was released by Marcos’ camp before the campaign for the 2022 elections.

“What we know for a fact and what is actually on record is that on November 2021, there was a negative drug test that was attested to at St. Luke’s. On May 2024, there was actually a Senate hearing in which one drug analyst, Geresza Reyes, and laboratory head, Dr. Cecilia Lim, confirmed that the President tested negative specifically for cocaine,” Poe said.

Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin and Quezon City 4th District Rep. Jesus “Bong” Suntay both stressed that such allegations do not amount to an impeachable offense without verified proof.

“Absent verified and authoritative proof showing impairment in office or misconduct indirectly related to the exercise of Presidential functions, such allegations cannot establish impeachable offense and should not be given weight,” said Garbin, a lawyer.

Suntay agreed: “There was actually no narration of which of the presidential actions or judgment was impaired due to the alleged drug addiction. There was also no medical evidence presented, no drug test results.”

For Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, the allegation of drug use “is a clear example of not a recital of facts, but a conclusion of fact not based on any evidence.” 

The de Jesus complaint based its allegations on the claims of the President’s elder sister, Senator Imee Marcos.

Earlier in the day, the House justice panel postponed the voting on the sufficiency in substance of the two impeachment complaints filed against Marcos.

The committee is expected to vote on the sufficiency in substance of the de Jesus complaint and the other impeachment complaint filed against the President on Wednesday, February 4. — JMA, GMA Integrated News