Claim: Palace Press Officer Claire Castro revealed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been using drugs, as shown in a press briefing aired on television.
Rating: ALTERED
Why we fact-checked this: Facebook user Marquin B Embalzado posted a video clip taken from GMA News showing Castro’ press briefing in India on September 11, where she supposedly called Marcos an addict.
In the video, Castro is shown saying, “Si Pangulong Marcos Jr., adik, bangag, at inamin niya rin na ang paggamit niya ng fentanyl ay inabuso niya dahil masarap daw yung pakiramdam — ‘cloud nine’ ang feeling.”
(President Marcos Jr. is an addict, a drug user; he even admitted to abusing fentanyl because of the pleasurable sensation it gave him — a feeling of being on ‘cloud nine.’)
The video also has overlaid text that reads, “Ano’ng nangyari, Ante Claire? Hala ka, siniraan mo yung amo mo? Nalilito na ata si madam; stress yarn, madam, wala na sa script?”
(What happened, Auntie Claire? Oh no, you badmouthed your boss? Madam seems confused; is she stressed? Has she gone off-script?)
As of this writing, the post has 88,000 views, 1,300 likes, 118 comments, and 486 shares. Multiple users have also reposted the video, generating high engagement.
The facts: The press briefing did take place, but Castro’s statement was spliced to make it appear she was talking about Marcos, when she was actually referring to former president Rodrigo Duterte.
When asked for a reaction to Vice President Sara Duterte calling Marcos a drug addict, Castro pointed out that it was former president Rodrigo Duterte who admitted to taking drugs.
In the press briefing, Castro said: “Inamin mismo ni dating Pangulong Duterte, pangulo na siya, na siya’y gumagamit ng marijuana. At inamin niya rin na ang paggamit niya ng fentanyl ay inabuso niya dahil masarap daw ‘yung pakiramdam, ‘cloud nine’ ang feeling.”
(Former president Duterte himself admitted — while he was already president — that he used marijuana. He also admitted to abusing fentanyl because of the pleasurable sensation it provided, describing it as feeling like being on ‘cloud nine.’)
She added, “Noong umamin ba ang kanyang ama sa paggamit ng mga bawal na gamot, tinawag niya ba ang kanyang ama na adik, bangag? So kung anong ginagawa ng inyong pamilya, huwag niyo pong ipahid kay Pangulong Marcos Jr. na siyang nagtatrabaho, umaaksyon, hindi puro pagbabakasyon ang ginagawa ng Pangulo.”
(When her father admitted to using drugs, did she call her father an addict, a fool? So, whatever your family is doing, do not project it onto President Marcos Jr.; he is working and taking action — he is not just going on vacation.)
The official GMA News report, the Presidential Communications Office’s official transcript, and other news outlets that broadcast the briefing reflected these statements.
Other fact-checkers have debunked another post containing the video as an altered version of the legitimate news report.
Drug use: Castro was referring to Duterte’s admission to using fentanyl, a highly addictive opioid, for medical purposes in 2016. He said he was told to stop using it after his doctor said he was “abusing the drug” by using multiple patches more than what was prescribed.
In December 2016, Duterte said, “I’m not an addict… Only when it is prescribed. Addiction is only with regularity, my friend.”
In 2018, he also admitted to taking marijuana to keep him awake. He later said that it was a joke.
Accusations: In 2024, Duterte accused Marcos of being a drug addict, allegedly on the list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) watchlist of narcotics users. PDEA denied the claim.
Marcos clapped back, suggesting that his predecessor’s allegation might be attributed to his prolonged use of fentanyl.
Other fact-checks: Rappler has previously debunked numerous fake quotes by public officials:
- FACT CHECK: Jonvic Remulla did not say Marcoses are ‘sure to be jailed’ after 2028
- FACT CHECK: Quote card of Mark Zuckerberg threatening DICT, House with lawsuit is fake
- FACT CHECK: Marcos Jr. did not say protecting VP Duterte from her case is ‘corruption’
- FACT CHECK: No, Malabon congressman Oreta did not slam Sara Duterte’s travels
- FACT CHECK: Jonvic Remulla did not say Marcoses are ‘sure to be jailed’ after 2028
– Eirene Manatlao/Rappler.com
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