Bongbong Marcos laughs at the PDEA report against him, Maricel Soriano

By: Jean Mangaluz – 3 hours ago

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos and actress Maricel Soriano

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday simply laughed at drug use allegations leveled against him and actress Maricel Soriano, a purported leaked document alleged Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Alleged PDEA files linking Marcos and Soriano to drug use have been circulating online, with Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa apparently lending credence to the reports, saying these documents were not fake.

Marcos, asked for comment in an ambush interview at an event in Pasay City, brushed off the question with a laugh.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who was with the president during the interview, called the claim “contrived.”

It's not the first time the president has ridiculed allegations of drug use.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte claimed back in January that Marcos was on the PDEA's drug watch list.

When asked for a response to his predecessor's claims, Marcos said he would “not even give the question due respect.”

At a recent Senate hearing, PDEA Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo categorically stated that the documents were forged. However, this was contradicted by former PDEA investigator Jonathan Morales, who maintained the authenticity of the leaked documents that linked Marcos and Soriano to illegal drugs.

Soriano has not yet issued a statement on the matter.