Marcos vs Marcos

The peaceful, non-political rally of the Iglesia ni Cristo in Rizal Park became politically charged on its second night as it allowed a politician to address the crowd: President Marcos’ estranged elder sister, Sen. Imee Marcos.

Ate Imee reminded everyone of an issue that was hurled against her only brother when he was running for president in 2022: that he was a cocaine-abusing weakling who did not deserve to lead the nation.

The accusation was publicly made by then president Rodrigo Duterte, as he was trying to persuade his headstrong daughter Sara to either move to succeed him or else support his preferred successor, his anak-anakan and super alalay Bong Go.

It wasn’t even a new accusation. Since his days as the princeling of the first Marcos administration, rumors of illegal drug use have hounded Ferdinand Marcos Jr. While low-key even at the height of power of the conjugal dictatorship, Bongbong Marcos was rumored to lead a sybaritic lifestyle.

The brains and achiever in the family, with a sense of humor almost as formidable as that of Digong Duterte, has long been seen to be the eldest: Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios Romualdez Marcos, a.k.a. Ate Imee.

Probably because it’s dictator Ferdinand Marcos who needed redemption in global image, it was his only son and namesake rather than Imelda Junior who took on the role of savior of the family name (and colossal fortune), by running for president in 2022.

Inday Sara and her bestie Imee ignored Tatay Digong’s rants and worked to get the UniTeam led by BBM elected – with spectacular results.

Why keep quiet about the drug abuse issue in 2022, only to dredge it up now? And if the concern about drug abuse is genuine rather than opportunistic, why skip mention of the drug trafficking allegations against Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte?

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The beef about drug abuse is problematic in itself. I’ve always considered substance abuse a public health, social and personal problem. In impoverished neighborhoods, children still sniff rugby to forget their hunger. It’s a complex issue that can’t be lumped together with the motivations that drive drug trafficking, and the corruption and violence that the illegal drug trade engenders.

Drug abuse can be overcome, and those who want to kick the habit deserve full support in their effort. Many of them are youths and they deserve a second chance.

I entered my teenage years in the drug trafficking hot spots of Manila – Quiricada and its surrounding streets in Sta. Cruz where college students rolled joints around mounds of marijuana from the Cordilleras, piled high on shanty floors.

In the mom-and-pop pharmacies around the San Lazaro Hospital, you could buy strictly regulated drugs such as depressants and powerful tranquilizers along with cough syrups with high-inducing stimulant components that would later be removed by Big Pharma.

Genuine “yellow prescriptions” were stolen by teenage kids from their doctor parents, or by interns from hospitals, and used to buy the drugs. The small pharmacies largely looked the other way and filled the bogus prescriptions.

Those were the same pharmacies, along with hole-in-the-wall clinics, where drug abusers sold blood to finance their habit.

The young pushers and abusers I met were non-violent folks. Many of them liked rock music that was banned during martial law. No one packed a gun; many of them instead toted guitars.

Several of them died before they were 30, some from suspected suicide, including guys I would not hesitate to describe as gentle, fragile souls.

Duterte’s take-no-prisoners approach may work on the large-scale drug traffickers who can buy their way out of any criminal indictments, but confronting the demand side of the drug scourge calls for a different tack.

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I learned to spot people high on drugs, or who were addicted. The habit takes a visible toll on the body.

So far, I haven’t seen either BBM or his wife in a public engagement with bloodshot eyes or looking, talking or behaving like they’re high on drugs.

The First Lady in fact strikes many as her husband’s highly efficient secret weapon – someone who has brought out the best in Bongbong Marcos. Their marriage and family seem rock solid.

I’ve written that those who have been blessed with high public office in our country should follow the example of Barack Obama, who came clean on his cocaine and marijuana use to send the message to America’s youth that if he hadn’t kicked the habit, he would not have become US president.

BBM won the presidency by the biggest margin ever despite the accusation that he’s a cokehead.

The story was brushed aside at the time. Today the hiss in administration circles is that in dredging it up, Senator Imee wants VP Sara to replace BBM. Ate Imee can then become the VP, in a prelude to a 2028 team-up.

BBM must be thinking: with a sister like this, who needs enemies?

Yesterday, Rep. Sandro Marcos, who was also accused by his Tita Imee of being a dopehead, responded with a not-so-subtle reference to long-running rumors that she is Imeldific’s daughter by another man.

As for the peanut gallery, there are folks who are wishing the warring camps mutual annihilation.

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PS: Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco texted to inform me that in 2023, he didn’t go directly to then House speaker Martin Romualdez to request a P200-million funding insertion for a project in Tiangco’s home city of Navotas because it’s not in his nature to seek favors or “special accommodation.”

Reacting to my previous column, Tiangco clarified that at the time, he was still “OK” with Romualdez, his relative by marriage, but he didn’t want to be indebted to anyone because it usually entailed a quid pro quo.

“Even kay PBBM, I have not asked for anything special from him. I value my independence,” Tiangco told me, referring to President Bongbong Marcos. “My first 9 years in Congress, I don’t recall entering the Speaker’s office, during the time of (Feliciano) Belmonte, (Pantaleon) Alvarez, GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo). Alam ko na ang special favor ay may kapalit yun kaya ayaw ko humingi.”