PDEA disproves claim about PBBM on drug watchlist

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Monday has debunked claims by former President Rodrigo Duterte that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was on its drug watchlist.

PDEA issued a statement after Duterte, in his speech on Sunday, claimed that he was shown evidence while he was Mayor of Davao City that Marcos Jr.'s name appeared on the agency's watch list.

However, PDEA points out that the agency was only activated in 2002, well after Duterte's mayoral terms from 1988 to 1998, 2001 to 2010, and 2013 to 2016.

"It is worthwhile to note that President Marcos Jr. was never in our National Drug Information System (NDIS) since its inception in 2002," PDEA said

The NDIS serves as the agency's intelligence database for drug personalities, gathering information from various law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Furthermore, PDEA clarified that Marcos Jr.'s name was also not included in the "narco-list" or the "Duterte list," which later evolved into the Inter-Agency Drug Information Database (IDID) under the Duterte administration. This list, compiled in 2016, underwent continuous validation and re-validation processes.

"Based on all available evidence and records, we can confidently assert that President Marcos Jr. is not and has never been on our drug watch list," PDEA said.

Duterte on Sunday night accused Marcos Jr. of being a "drug addict", saying the PDEA showed him a list while he was mayor of Davao City. 

"When I was the mayor, the (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) presented evidence to me. Your name was on the (drug) list. I don't want to say it because we are friends, or if not friends, at least acquaintances," Marcos said.

"That's why I'm telling you now, Bongbong Marcos was messed up back then, and now that he's the president, he's still messed up," Duterte added.

Duterte also questioned the qualifications of one presidential contender in 2021, who he claimed is an "illegal drug user.”

Marcos then took a drug test at a hospital to debunk Duterte’s claims at that time and tested negative for illegal drug use.