By Tracy Cabrera
FOLLOWING allegations issued by Senator Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios ‘Imee’ Marcos-Manotoc that her brother, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. is hooked into drugs, civic leader Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia fired back to say that the lady senator’s tirade is merely an act of desperation as it collapse under its own weight.
While admitting that Imee Marcos’s undue polemics during the second day of the anti-corruption rally of Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) at the Quirino Grandstand were loud, emotional and confrontational, Goitia cited that none of them turns her claims into a fact.
According to the chairman emeritus of Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (PADER), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI) and Filipinos Do Not Yield (FDNY) Movement, Imee’s statements about her brother may have stirred the crowd, but they offered zero evidence.
“What she delivered was spectacle not substance. When someone makes accusations this serious without a shred of proof, it is not bravery. It is recklessness. The Filipino people deserve truth, not emotional outbursts pretending to be national warnings,” he indulged the theatrics.
Goitia added that “accusing a sitting president of drug use is one of the gravest allegations a public official can make (and) it demands ironclad evidence.”
“Imee provided nothing. No records. No verification. No documentation. Just a microphone, a crowd and a narrative crafted for maximum shock value,” he asserted.
The civic leader challenged PBBM’s sister directly: “If evidence exists, show it. If none exists, stop dragging the entire nation into a personal meltdown. We cannot allow unverified claims to destabilize the republic.”
Moreover, he cited that the facts are clear—President Marcos Jr. voluntarily underwent a drug test at St. Luke’s in 2021 and the result for cocaine was negative. Hospital officials even testified before the Senate to confirm its validity.
“This is not a loophole. This is a documented test. If the accusers truly believed their own claims, then this decisive step destroys their narrative completely,” he pointed out.
And the attempt to implicate First Lady Marie Louise ‘Liza’ Araneta-Marcos only reveals the desperation behind the narrative Goitia branded as black propaganda.
“Liza has a consistent record of professionalism and restraint. She has never been associated with the kind of behavior Imee insinuated. To smear her without evidence is not only dishonest, it exposes the pettiness of the attack,” he stressed.
“Dragging the First Lady into this without basis is a cheap shot. It is gossip dressed up as concern. It insults the intelligence of the Filipino people,” he further stated.
Conclusively, the chairman mentioned that anyone watching the President closely can see the truth as his schedule is full, his decisions steady and his leadership consistent.
“You cannot claim impairment when the evidence shows discipline, clarity, and active governance. Leadership is measured by action. The President continues to work, continues to lead and continues to deliver. Rumor cannot erase results.
“Imee’s public outburst is not a service to the nation. It is a spectacle rooted in resentment, not responsibility. Filipinos cannot afford to have national discourse dictated by a sibling’s emotional explosion. Family drama, no matter how explosive, is not a substitute for credible information,” he emphasized.
In ending, Goitia warned that “loose talk weakens the country and if officials want to be taken seriously, they must speak with evidence—not emotion, not theatrics.”
“(Our) country has real battles to fight. Economic recovery, security and national stability all require focus and unity. What they do not require is a politician firing accusations that evaporate under scrutiny. Until genuine evidence is presented, Imee’s claims remain nothing more than noise,” he concluded.
