MANILA, Philippines – Sinabi ng ilang miyembro ng House justice committee na ang alegasyon ng drug addiction ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ay walang ebidensya at basehan.
Ito ang iginiit ng mga mambabatas nang pag-usapan nila ang determinasyon ng sufficiency in substance ng impeachment complaint na inihain ni Atty. Andre de Jesus laban kay Marcos.
Sa reklamo kasi ni de Jesus, sinabi nito na ang Pangulo ay unfit nang mamahala dahil sa paggamit nito ng illegal na droga na nauna nang itinanggi ng Malakanyang.
Ipinunto ni House Deputy Minority Leader and ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima na “unfitness per se is not a ground for impeachment.”
“This is not a factual allegation because the ground must not only state a categorical allegation that President Bongbong Marcos is a drug addict and that this impairs the performance of his mandate, but must also include a recital of the alleged acts, events, and incidents that support the same,” sinabi pa ni de Lima, dating justice secretary.
Tinukoy din ni FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe ang negative drug test ng Pangulo na isinagawa sa St. Luke’s Medical Center noong Nobyembre 2021.
Inilabas ng kampo ni Marcos ang drug test bago ang kampanya para sa 2022 elections.
“What we know for a fact and what is actually on record is that on November 2021, there was a negative drug test that was attested to at St. Luke’s. On May 2024, there was actually a Senate hearing in which one drug analyst, Geresza Reyes, and laboratory head, Dr. Cecilia Lim, confirmed that the President tested negative specifically for cocaine,” ani Poe.
Kapwa iginiit naman nina Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin at Quezon City 4th District Rep. Jesus “Bong” Suntayna ang mga alegasyong ito ay hindi katumbas ng impeachable offense kung walang beripikadong patunay.
“Absent verified and authoritative proof showing impairment in office or misconduct indirectly related to the exercise of Presidential functions, such allegations cannot establish impeachable offense and should not be given weight,” sinabi naman ni Garbin.
“There was actually no narration of which of the presidential actions or judgment was impaired due to the alleged drug addiction. There was also no medical evidence presented, no drug test results,” pagsang-ayon ni Suntay.
Para kay Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, ang alegasyon ng drug use ay “a clear example of not a recital of facts, but a conclusion of fact not based on any evidence.”
Matatandaan na ipinagpaliban ng House justice panel ang botohan sa sufficiency in substance ng dalawang impeachment complaints na inihain laban kay Marcos.
Inaasahang pagbobotohan ng komite ang sufficiency in substance ng reklamo ni De Jesus at isa pang impeachment complaint ngayong araw, Pebrero 4. RNT/JGC
