MANILA -- The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) vehemently denied that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is in its watchlist for persons linked to illegal drug use contrary to the accusations of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

“Based on all the foregoing facts, the PDEA asserts that President Marcos Jr. is not and was never in its watchlist,” the PDEA said in a statement, contradicting Duterte who claimed that the agency showed him evidence, showing Marcos’ name in the supposed drug list.

Duterte said that the alleged evidence was showed to him when he was mayor of Davao.

Based on records, the PDEA said that the agency was activated on July 30, 2002 when it established its National Drug Information System (NDIS), which serves as an intelligence database of all drug personalities that is responsible for gathering inputs from law enforcement and intelligence counterparts.

The PDEA also emphasized that President Marcos was never included in its NDIS since the time it was created in 2002 and up to the present as it emphasized that the chief executive was not also included in its list of drug personalities even during the administration of Duterte.

“It is worthwhile to note that, when the former President took over in 2016, his administration came out with a list, which was then initially called the ‘narco-list, sometimes referred to as the Duterte list, and upon continuing validation and re-validation, it became the Inter-Agency Drug Information Database, or IDI,” the PDEA said.

“The name of President Marcos is also not in the said list,” the agency added.

President Marcos led the kick-off rally of the “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign on Sunday at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila where over 400,000 Filipinos from all walks of life participated and witnessed how the administration envisioned a new Philippines that is pro-Filipinos. (PND)