Senator Imee Marcos did not hold back during the “Rally for Transparency and a Better Democracy” at Quirino Grandstand, Luneta, on Monday, claiming that her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has struggled with drug use for years.

“Ever since we were children, our whole family has known about his problem. Everyone can read my father’s testimony about his habits and behavior. Back then, I was young and it wasn’t my responsibility. But as he grew older, it became even more concerning. I know that he has used drugs,” Senator Marcos told the crowd of over 300,000.

Speaking in Filipino, she recounted that the issue became serious enough that she and the Presidential Guards would clean up drug paraphernalia following her brother’s parties.

Senator Marcos said she even encouraged him to marry Liza Araneta “so he would have direction in life.”

“I was wrong — things only got worse. His addiction worsened, even after they got married,” she said. “Dahil parehas pa silang mag-asawa (Because the two of them were alike).”

She also criticized his record as governor of Ilocos Norte, claiming that he was often absent from his office.

“People reported to me that as early as breakfast, he was already using marijuana. They would drink and use cocaine all day, including his wife and friends,” she said.

Senator Marcos confirmed that in 2016, her brother’s name appeared on the so-called narco-list during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“He was listed alongside celebrities like Maricel Soriano and others. I spoke to President Duterte very seriously, almost on my knees, saying that the pushers should be prosecuted first and the users later,” she recalled.

Broken promise

She said President Bongbong Marcos had promised her he would change — and at first, she believed him. But the old habits came back.

“In 2021, he told me he wanted to run and that he would really change. I even introduced him to Inday (Sara Duterte). They became a tandem, and after that… he didn’t even recognize me anymore. Even Inday was puzzled. I was suddenly pushed aside. And yet, I still campaigned for him,” the senator lamented.

She recalled that when a disqualification case was filed against Bongbong’s presidential bid, someone confided in her that he was reportedly using illegal drugs again.

“When I tried to stop him again, they completely removed me from the campaign I helped build. They said I wanted him disqualified so I could replace him — but that’s not true! I was only thinking about my brother and how he could serve the country if he was in that condition,” she said.

“They tried to convince me he wasn’t addicted, that it only happened occasionally at parties. I can’t explain why I wanted to believe him and not lose hope.”

Palace issues strong denial

The Palace reaction was swift.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro denied Sen. Imee Marcos’ claims, calling the allegations a “desperate move” against her own family.

“I just want to talk about this new news — Senator Imee herself allegedly spoke about our president’s use of illegal drugs. This is definitely a desperate move,” she said in Filipino.

“The discussion at the peaceful rally was supposedly about corruption. Why would Sen. Imee bring this up just to discredit her own brother? We all know that a drug test was conducted even before our president’s campaign. I just want to share this so you can remember it again,” she added.

INC calls out Marcos

Earlier, a minister of the influential religious group Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) publicly called out President Marcos, accusing him of shielding his political allies — including his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez — and dragging his feet in the investigation and indictment of those implicated in the anomalous flood control projects.

Unlike the first day of the three-day “Rally for Transparency and a Better Democracy” on Sunday, when no personalities were mentioned, INC Minister Rommel Topacio did not hold back.

Taking the stage, he explicitly named the President, criticizing the slow pace of legal action against government officials flagged by resource persons in hearings before both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“In his State of the Nation Address, President Marcos disclosed the companies that received the largest contracts for DPWH flood control projects amounting to hundreds of billions of pesos. Following this, several witnesses alleged the involvement of certain lawmakers in corruption, including the then speaker of the House of Representatives, which eventually led to his resignation,” Topacio said in Filipino.

He then questioned the slow pace of accountability for those implicated in the flood control fiasco, pointing out that no one has been jailed or formally charged.

Remulla sideswiped

Topacio also criticized Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla for having agreed with Senator Erwin Tulfo that the government must sometimes “bend the law to please the people.”

“It seems the law is bendable depending on whom it is applied to,” Topacio said.

The INC leader also questioned the government’s apparent protection of Zaldy Co, particularly the non-cancellation of Co’s passport and the lack of extradition proceedings against him, despite the accusations he is facing in the Philippines.

“But now, they are eager to bring Co home after he challenged the government. So where is true accountability? Isn’t it important for the government to hold the real wrongdoers responsible?” he asked.

Topacio highlighted what he saw as a double standard in the government’s collaboration with international bodies. He contrasted the apparent ease of executing an Interpol arrest warrant for former President Rodrigo Duterte to deliver him to the International Criminal Court with the inaction toward Co.