FACT CHECK: Castro spoke about Rodrigo Duterte, not Marcos, in spliced drug-use clip

The original clip is from a September 11 briefing in which Castro cited former president Duterte's admissions of drug use. The viral clip was edited to replace Duterte's name with Marcos'. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro did not claim that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. used marijuana or abused fentanyl; the viral video altered her original statement. The original remarks referred to former President Rodrigo Duterte's admissions about drug use, which were misattributed to Marcos in the manipulated clip. No credible evidence supports claims of Marcos admitting to drug use, and previous accusations against him have been denied, citing negative drug tests. This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors. Claim: Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. admitted to using marijuana and abusing fentanyl because it felt like “cloud nine.” Rating: ALTERED Why we fact-checked this: A Facebook post by “Wilfredo Villacastel Orencejr,” published on October 24, carries the claim. Its caption reads, “Ay naku, Ante Claire binubuking mo na yung boss mo, Ante.” (Oh, Auntie Claire, you’re exposing your boss, auntie.) The video shows Castro speaking in a supposed interview, with a breaking news label overlaid on top. In the clip, Castro says, “Inamin mismo ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. na siya’y gumagamit ng marijuana, at inamin niya rin na ang paggamit niya ng fentanyl ay inabuso niya dahil masarap daw ang pakiramdam, cloud nine.” (President Marcos Jr. himself admitted that he uses marijuana, and he also admitted that he abused fentanyl because it supposedly felt good, cloud nine.) As of writing, the video has garnered over 709,000 views, 11,000 reactions, 1,300 comments, and 5,600 shares. The facts: Castro did not say Marcos used marijuana or abused fentanyl. The viral clip altered what she said during September 11 press briefing in New Delhi, where she was referring to former president Rodrigo Duterte. In the genuine clip, Castro was asked to respond to Vice President Sara Duterte’s accusation that Marcos was an “addict.” She said: “Inamin mismo ni dating Pangulong Duterte, pangulo na siya, na siya’y gumagamit ng marijuana. At inamin niya rin na ang paggamit niya ng fentanyl ay inabuso niya dahil masarap daw ‘yung pakiramdam, ‘cloud nine’ ang feeling.” (Former president Duterte himself admitted, while already in office, that he used marijuana. He also admitted to abusing fentanyl because he enjoyed the feeling, describing it as being on “cloud nine.”) The viral clip replaces Duterte’s name with “Pangulong Marcos Jr.” (President Marcos Jr.) and omits the phrase “pangulo na siya” (when he was already president). GMA News reported Castro’s original remarks, which match the Presidential Communications Office transcript and RTVM livestream on September 11. No credible report shows Marcos admitting to using marijuana or abusing fentanyl. Duterte’s original remarks: Duterte acknowledged using fentanyl in December 2016, saying he took it for a spinal injury from motorcycle accidents but had exceeded the prescribed dose. He denied being addicted, saying he used it only when prescribed. In a 2017 Davao City speech, he recalled using an entire fentanyl patch instead of cutting it into four pieces, saying it made him feel “on cloud nine,” the phrase Castro later repeated. He later told critics he had made up the fentanyl story. In 2018, Duterte said he used marijuana to stay awake during official functions, later calling the remark a joke. Both statements were made while he was president, as Castro said. Drug-use feud: Castro’s press briefing was a response to the Vice President’s accusation that Marcos was an “addict.” Duterte made the statement at her September 11 arraignment in Quezon City. The accusation against Marcos is not new. Senator Imee Marcos made a similar claim at a rally in November 2025, which Malacañang rejected, citing a negative drug test. Rappler also published a fact-check of a similar manipulated clip falsely attributing the remarks to Marcos, along with several other fact-checks debunking his alleged drug use: FACT CHECK: Marcos did not say cocaine use led to diverticulitis diagnosis FACT CHECK: Marcos not arrested over illegal drugs FACT CHECK: No proof cited in posts claiming ‘authenticated’ Marcos ‘polvoron’ video FACT CHECK: No Supreme Court-led raid, drug-related arrests in Malacañang – Cyril Bocar/Rappler.com Efren Cyril Bocar is a journalist from Llorente, Eastern Samar who graduated with a degree in English Language Studies at the Visayas State University. Cyril is also a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024. Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time. How does this make you feel? Loading