Bongbong Marcos on Imee Marcos following drug use claims against him: 'That's not my sister'

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. turned the table on sister Sen. Imee Marcos at a press conference, sharing his thoughts on her recent drug use accusations against him. 

During the Q&A portion of a press conference on Nov. 24, a reporter asked the President for his reaction to Imee's allegations. To which, he replied,  "We do not like to show our dirty linen in public. So I'll just say this much: For a while now, we've been very worried about my sister. When I say we, I'm talking about friends and family."

"The reason that is, is because the lady that you see talking on TV is not my sister. That view is shared by our cousins, our friends. Hindi siya 'yan," he added. "We are very worried about her. I hope she feels better soon."

Asked whether he had spoken to his sister about the issue, or was planning to, he said, "We no longer travel in the same circles, political or otherwise, so no."

Hours after the President finished his press conference, Imee posted her response on Facebook: "Bongbong, ako 'to, kung anu-ano na nakikita mo ading. Patunayan mong mali ako—gusto kong mali ako."

Drug use allegations vs Marcos, First Family

On Nov. 17, the second day of the Iglesia ni Cristo Rally for Transparency at Rizal Park, Imee spoke about her brother's alleged drug habit. 

"Bata pa lamang kami ni Bongbong, alam na ng buong pamilya ang problema sa kanya...Noon, dahil may tatay pa kami, hindi ko pa siya responsibilidad. Noong tumatanda ay mas naging nakakabahala. Batid ko na na nagda-drugs siya," Imee told the crowd. 

The senator went on to say it wasn't just her brother who was allegedly taking drugs, but also supposedly his wife, Liza Marcos, and the rest of the First Family. According to the senator, this habit continues to this day. 

Responding to the senator's accusations, Presidential Communications Office Usec. Claire Castro called Imee's allegations a "desperate move" against Bongbong. 

Furthermore, addressing Imee's calls for Bongbong to undergo a drug test, Castro pointed out the President has indeed had taken a drug test as recently as May last year, which showed a negative result. 

"So ano ang dahilan ng desperadong galawan ni Sen. Imee Marcos laban sa sarili niyang kapatid? At pati kay First Lady?" Castro asked.

A day after his aunt went public with her accusations, Bongbong's eldest son, Sandro, who is the majority floor leader of the House of Representatives, called the drug use allegations "not only false, but dangerously irresponsible.”