Filipinos protest against Marcos' drug use

In response to a video circulating on the Internet that was suspected of Philippine President Marcos Jr. taking drugs, the Philippine Department of Defense issued a statement on July 22, saying that the video was fake. Former President Duterte also issued a statement on the same day, criticizing Marcos Jr. for denying the authenticity of the video but refusing to take a drug test to prove his innocence.

According to reports, the video was first exposed at a gathering of "MAISUG", a group related to Duterte in the United States. In the video, a man wearing a green shirt and looking similar to Marcos Jr. holds a white powdery substance, which is suspected to be an illegal narcotic drug.

The Ministry of Defense pointed out in a statement that "MAISUG" spread these false videos to deliberately create malice and chaos with the aim of undermining the stability of the Marcos government. The Ministry of Defense criticized the organization for choosing to release the video in the United States with the intention of evading the legal responsibility of the Philippines.

In response, Duterte said that the broadcast of the video was privately decided by the organization's volunteers and the leadership was not aware of it in advance. He pointed out that the fastest way to prove Marcos' innocence is to take a drug test and have it tested by a credible testing center.

Duterte's daughter Sara Duterte was Marcos' running mate, but their partnership broke down shortly after winning the election.

On January 28 this year, Duterte and Marcos held rallies in Davao City and Manila respectively. In his speech, Duterte accused Marcos of being a "drug addict" and raised the possibility of removing him. The next day, Marcos responded that Duterte's judgment may be affected by fentanyl

Philippines took to the streets to protest and burned Marcos and Sara dolls

Before Philippine President Marcos delivered his third State of the Nation Address on July 22, hundreds of demonstrators protested on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and burned dolls of Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte.

The protesters expressed their dissatisfaction with the current government's policies and called on the government to take more effective measures to solve problems such as poverty, unemployment and social injustice. The protesters held banners and shouted slogans, demanding that the government respond to the people's demands.

The act of burning the dolls symbolizes the protesters' strong dissatisfaction with the leadership of Marcos Jr. and Duterte. The protests attracted widespread attention on the eve of the president's State of the Nation Address, and the protesters hoped to convey their anger and dissatisfaction to the government through this move.