MANILA – Malacañang has responded to calls for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to take a hair follicle test by urging critics to provide proof of his alleged illegal drug use.
Presidential Communications Office’s Undersecretary Claire Castro said individuals making accusations against the President should present evidence to support their assertions.
“Ano po ba ang basehan para sa paghingi at i-demand sa Pangulo ang isang hair follicle test? Ito po ba’y may pagbibintang na siya ay diumanong gumagamit ng ilegal na droga?” Castro said.
“Kayo po na nagbibintang, kayo ma humihingi at nagde-demand sa Pangulo, kayo muna ang magpatunay na mayroon siyang ginagawang mali,” she added during her media briefing at the Malacañang Palace.
Calls for President Marcos to undergo a hair follicle test surfaced anew after the issue of his alleged “polvoron video” was recently tackled at the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, Castro said there is “nothing new” about allegations that it was former presidential spokesman Harry Roque who was behind the so-called “polvoron video.”
“Hindi na po bago ito sa pananaw ng taumbayan kung sino ba talaga ang utak o nagpakalat ng fake polvoron video,” said Castro, who added that Marcos is letting law enforcement agencies look into the matter.
The National Bureau of Investigation on July 23, 2024 said that forensic analysis showed that the man using drugs was not Marcos.
Vlogger Vicente Bencalo “Pebbles” Cunanan on Tuesday linked Roque to the spread of a video during the hearing of the House TriComm’s inquiry into the spread of fake news online.
“Ayon sa aking rekoleksyon, mayroon pa ngang naging usapan na isang foreign influencer or vlogger ang dapat mag-post o panggalingan ng video para magmukhang mas kapani-paniwala at upang maiwasan ang anumang posibleng pananagutan mula sa gobyerno ng ating bansa,” Cunanan said.
Roque, meanwhile, denied Cunanan’s allegations while also speculating that the latter might have made the testimony in exchange for a favor.
“Either nagsisinungaling siya (Cunanan) o wala talaga siyang alam,” Roque said. “Nalungkot ako, siguro talagang matindi ang pangangailangan dahil ang inaasahan lang niya ay online selling.”
“Realidad ‘yan ng buhay na kailangan mabuhay. Naaawa rin ako sa kanya,” the spokesperson of former President Rodrigo Duterte added./PN
