MANILA (Bloomberg): Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took a swipe at his sister, Imee, who publicly accused him of using illegal drugs at a time of growing public anger over corruption in the government.
"The lady that you see talking on TV is not my sister. And that view is shared by our cousins, our friends,” Marcos told a briefing on Monday when asked to comment on his older sister’s remarks last week.
"We are very worried about her. I hope she feels better soon,” Marcos added.
Imee Marcos, a sitting senator, claimed during a huge rally protesting graft in the state’s flood-control projects that the president and the first lady used cocaine. She said the president’s vice is to blame for the rampant corruption and the absence of accountability in government.
Responding to her brother’s comment, Imee said Monday on her Facebook account: "Prove me wrong - I want to be wrong.”
Imee’s allegations laid bare the depth of the rift within the Southeast Asian nation’s ruling family, which saw the peak of their political comeback in the 2022 elections, more than three decades after their late dictator father Ferdinand Marcos was ousted by a popular revolt in 1986.
The exchange of tirades between the siblings comes as the Marcos administration deepens its crackdown on the multibillion-dollar corruption in flood infrastructure that has fueled public outrage and slowed economic growth.
Last year, the president traded accusations of drug use with his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, whose allegations against Marcos were denied by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Imee has also thrown her support behind Vice President Sara Duterte, Marcos’ ally turned political rival in their high-profile feud. The vice president had previously dared Marcos to undergo a drug test.
The president said he hasn’t spoken with his sister. "We no longer travel in the same circles, political or otherwise,” Marcos said.
--With assistance from Claire Jiao. - ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
