Marcos Jr. Dismisses Call for Drug Test, Questions Relevance to Public Office

In a firm rebuttal, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has turned down a suggestion from his former executive secretary, Vic Rodriguez, to take a hair follicle drug test. Speaking to the press in Pasay City, Marcos questioned the relevance of such a test to his public role, stating, “No. Why should I do that? What is he saying about public trust, public office? Public office has nothing to do with the follicle test.” This response came after Rodriguez invoked the constitutional principle that public office is a public trust, urging Marcos to undergo the test to dispel any drug use allegations. Marcos criticized Rodriguez’s call, pointing out the inconsistency in Rodriguez’s actions, as he had previously worked closely with Marcos. Marcos remarked, “It has no connection with what he’s saying. He has always had that weakness when he was still working for me. If you believe in what he was saying, why did he work for me?” Rodriguez, who served as Marcos’ chief of staff and spokesperson before becoming Executive Secretary in May 2022, had made similar demands last year. He later announced his departure from the Marcos administration in October 2022, citing personal reasons to spend more time with his family.