President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. dismissed calls for him to undergo a hair follicle drug test, saying it is unrelated to the principle that public office is a public trust.
Marcos Responds to Rodriguez’s Challenge
Former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez, who is now aligned with the Dutertes, has been urging Marcos to take the test to end speculation about his alleged drug use.
In response, Marcos firmly rejected the demand.
“No, no. Why should I do that?… ‘Public office is a public trust’ has nothing to do with the follicle test. Wala namang koneksyon ang sinasabi niya [Whatever he is saying has no connection],” Marcos said in an ambush interview in Pasay City on Friday.
The President also took a swipe at Rodriguez, questioning his credibility:
“He’s always had that weakness when he was still working for me. If you believe in what he was saying, why did he work for me?”
Allegations and Political Rift
Rodriguez first made the challenge in April 2024, after former President Rodrigo Duterte publicly accused Marcos of drug use.
In January 2025, Duterte called Marcos “bangag” (high on drugs) but later backtracked in February, saying he never made such an accusation.
Rodriguez, who served as Marcos’ spokesperson during the 2022 campaign, previously defended the negative drug test result Marcos took in 2021.
“Walang sasapat na paliwanag sa mga ayaw mapaliwanagan at hindi namin kayang ipaunawa sa mga sadyang ayaw umunawa,” Rodriguez said at the time. (There is no explanation sufficient for those who refuse to listen, and we cannot make those who do not want to understand, understand.)
With political tensions between the Marcos and Duterte camps escalating, the drug test challenge appears to be the latest flashpoint in their ongoing feud.