President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has rejected calls from his former executive secretary, Vic Rodriguez, to undergo a hair follicle test, dismissing the suggestion as irrelevant to his role in public office.
In an interview, Marcos was asked about Rodriguez’s remarks during a recent senatorial debate, in which he urged the president to take the test.
Marcos responded, “No, no. Why should I do that? What does public trust have to do with a follicle test? Please. There’s no connection to what he’s saying.”
Rodriguez, who previously served as Marcos’ executive secretary, cited the constitutional principle that public office is a public trust in making his suggestion.
He has been pushing for the president to take the test since 2024, in an effort to dispel rumors and speculations about the president’s alleged drug use.
However, Marcos questioned Rodriguez’s credibility, pointing out his past role in the administration.
“He’s always had that weakness even when he was still working for me,” the president said. “If he believed in what he’s saying, why did he work for me?”
Rodriguez resigned as executive secretary in 2022, amid controversies surrounding his role in the administration.
