Just hours before President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos' third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 22, a controversial video surfaced, purportedly showing him using illegal drugs. Released by supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte, the footage, dubbed the "polvoron video," allegedly depicts a man resembling Marcos sniffing a powdery substance. Claire Contreras, also known as vlogger Maharlika and a staunch Duterte supporter, teased the video on her Boldyakan Facebook page before uploading it the following morning.
Swift denials from Marcos's allies quickly followed, dismissing the video as a malicious fabrication intended to tarnish his reputation. Despite these rebuttals, other pro-Duterte vloggers joined in disseminating the footage, amplifying its impact. Reports emerged of Filipinos in Los Angeles, California, rallying against Marcos upon viewing the video during a Hakbang ng Maisug rally organized by Duterte’s supporters.
Government Response
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos reacted promptly, ordering the creation of a special task force to investigate the video's origins. The task force, comprising of various law enforcement agencies and cybercrime units, was tasked with coordinating efforts to uncover those responsible for the video's dissemination.
Secretary Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro of the Department of National Defense (DND) condemned it as a cowardly attempt to destabilize the government and evade legal accountability, adding that the release of the contrived video in the USA was also aimed at escaping Philippine criminal jurisdiction.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) labeled the video a "deepfake," warning of its deceptive nature amid the approaching election season. Secretary Ivan Uy cautioned the public about such digital threats.
Meanwhile, Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy confirmed the DICT's Cybersecurity Bureau was investigating the fake video, highlighting challenges in combating digital misinformation.
Call for Transparency
Former President Rodrigo Duterte, known for his vocal criticisms of Marcos, added fuel to the fire by challenging Marcos to undergo a hair follicle drug test. Duterte argued that such a test would conclusively refute the allegations if Marcos were clean, urging transparency amidst the swirling accusations.
In a two-page statement released on the same day, Duterte emphasized, "The Marcos administration's feeble attempt to dismiss the video by simple denial actually reinforces the simmering suspicion of President Marcos' drug addiction."
According to him, Marcos could simply free himself from the speculations only if he dared to personally submit himself to credible drug tests.
Duterte further stated that a negative drug test result would erase all doubts once and for all, but instead, Marcos only laughed, denied, or was silent.
