Former Philippine president accuses successor of plotting to expand power

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is throwing allegations at his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and even raising the prospect of removing him from office, bringing into the open a long-rumored split between the two.

In an expletive-laden speech late Sunday, the former populist leader alleged that Marcos’ legislative allies are plotting to amend the constitution to lift term limits and warned that could lead to him being ousted like his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Duterte also accused Marcos of being a drug addict.

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Marcos laughed off Duterte’s allegations in comments to reporters before flying to Vietnam for a visit. Marcos said he would not dignify the accusations with an answer, but claimed his predecessor is using fentanyl, a powerful opioid.

In 2016, Duterte said he had used fentanyl in the past to ease pain caused by injuries from a motorbike accident. His lawyer, Salvador Panelo, said Monday that Duterte stopped taking fentanyl before he became president in 2016.

“I think it’s the fentanyl,” Marcos said. “Fentanyl is the strongest pain killer that you can buy. … After five, six years, it has to affect him, that’s why I think this is what has happened.”

Members of the House of Representatives have been talking about amending the constitution, and Duterte claimed without offering any evidence that lawmakers who support Marcos, including House Speaker Martin Romualdez, are bribing local officials to amend the 1987 constitution to remove term limits so they can extend their grip on power.

Romualdez, who is the current president’s cousin, has denied that claim, saying he wants the constitution amended only to remove restrictions on foreign investment.

Marcos has said he is open to altering economic provisions of the constitution but opposes changing a provision that restricts foreign ownership of land and other critical industries like the media. Philippine presidents can serve only a single six-year term.

Opponents of opening the constitution to changes include the Senate. It issued a statement last week warning its checks-and-balance role could be undermined if the House of Representatives proceeded with