DAVAO CITY – Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte appeared anew here on Tuesday night, January 30, and explained his past use of a potent drug against pain.
DUTERTE (center). (Keith Bacongco)
Duterte, accompanied by some former city officials, told the media that he took fentanyl in the past to ease pain.
"It is prescribed by the doctor and kinuha ko ‘yung aking fentanyl drug prescription doon sa pain center ng Saint Luke’s at naalala ko pa ‘yung nagbigay sa akin noon, si Dr. Javier (I got my fentanyl drug prescription at Saint Luke’s pain center and I recall that Dr. Javier prescribed it to me). I'm giving you the name of my doctor. Pagkatapos noon, gumaling na ako, Mr. President (After that, I got well, Mr. President)," he said.
"Hindi na ako nag-fentanyl hindi ko na kailangan eh. Ngayon, bumuwelta ka sa akin ng ganon? ‘Yang cocaine may prescription ba yan? Saan mo kinukuha ang supply mo? (I didn’t take fentanyl anymore because I don’t need it. Now, why are you attacking me? Does cocaine have prescription? Where do you get your supply?)" Duterte added.
He said that he was using a fentanyl patch following surgery for an injury in a motorcycle accident a few years ago.
Duterte dared President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to take a drug test.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/30/duterte-dares-pbbm-to-take-drug-test
Asked if he has any proof that Marcos is taking illegal drugs, the former President said: "It is not me who will prove. Hindi ako ang tumakbo ng public office (I didn’t run for public office). It is an accusation against him from the public. Bakit ko i-pruweba (Why do I need to prove)? It is for him to sit in Luneta Park, magpakuha siya ng dugo doon (get a blood test), independent entity o doctor, o sige pati ako (and me, too).”
Duterte added since Marcos is in public office, it is for the President to disprove the allegations, saying these rumors had been going around even before Marcos was elected as president. “It’s not for me to prove it. It is stupid for them to suggest that I prove it.”
This was the second time that Duterte alleged that Marcos was into illegal drugs and was even included in the watchlist of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Last January 28, Duterte bared in a prayer rally against Charter change here that Marcos is allegedly taking illegal drugs.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/29/fprrd-warns-marcos-of-removal-from-office-just-like-fm
The PDEA denied ever having Marcos in any of its watchlists.
A day later before leaving for a state visit to Vietnam, Marcos suspected that Duterte's claim that he was into illegal drugs may have been brought about by the fentanyl that his predecessor has reportedly been taking.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/28/marcos-on-duterte-s-drug-accusation-it-must-be-the-fentanyl-talking
But Duterte vowed to unearth the records and will present them to the public.
He believes that authorities have kept copies of the supposed drug watchlist for their protection.
The former President said that Marcos' alleged drug use was his reason why he did not endorse him during the last presidential elections even as he was his daughter’s running mate.
When he was still a mayor here, Duterte bared that Marcos reportedly used to come into a giant banana firm's plantation in Davao del Norte and allegedly sniff cocaine with his friends.
He threatened to name Marcos’ cohorts, saying that some of them are already working for the President in Malacañang.