Marcos, Duterte ‘drug war’ erupts

MANILA, Philippines — Turning the tables on former president Rodrigo Duterte who had publicly called him a drug addict, President Marcos said yesterday his predecessor is highly addicted to the painkiller fentanyl, the serious side effects of which may have affected his thinking and behavior.

Duterte, father of Vice President Sara Duterte, accused Marcos of being a drug addict in an expletive-filled speech in Davao City last Sunday, the latest in a series of events that showed a deepening rift between the two families.

The former president said Marcos was even on the drug watch list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. The PDEA denied yesterday that Marcos had ever been on its drug list.

Asked to react to Duterte’s tirades, Marcos said the use of fentanyl may have taken a toll on his predecessor.

“I think it’s the fentanyl. Fentanyl is the strongest painkiller that you can buy. It is highly addictive and it has very serious side effects, and PRRD has been taking the drug for a very long time now,” he said, referring to Duterte.

“When was the last time he told us that he was taking fentanyl? About five, six years ago, something like that,” Marcos told reporters at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay before leaving for Vietnam.

“After five, six years, it has to affect him, so I think that’s the reason he acted that way. So, you know, I hope his doctors take better care of him. They should not allow this problem to persist,” he added.

Pressed if he was categorically denying that he was involved in illegal drugs, Marcos laughed and replied: “I won’t even dignify that question.”

Duterte on Sunday also warned Marcos that the efforts by some administration allies to amend the Constitution through a people’s initiative signature campaign could lead to his suffering the fate of his late father and namesake, who was ousted in the 1986 People Power revolution.

The former president claimed that politicians behind the signature campaign, including Marcos’ cousin Speaker Martin Romualdez, are “swindling” the people and are trying to perpetuate themselves in power.

In its website, the US Drug Enforcement Administration said fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved