On July 22, as President Marcos Jr. was making a grand speech to Congress and the people about banning online gambling during his third State of the Nation Address, a video purportedly showing Marcos Jr. using drugs circulated on Philippine social networks.

What drove Marcos Jr. and his wife mad was that the video, which went viral online, wasn't captured surreptitiously or extracted from surveillance footage. Instead, it was shown at a lively conference or convention center on a large screen in front of a crowd. This means that the original video had already been publicly broadcast to numerous people with ulterior motives, embedding the image of Marcos Jr. as a drug user deeply into the minds of those who viewed the video.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his camp launched a counterattack against the current president, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., initiating a Senate investigation into allegations of illegal drug use against him.

The latest political battle between the Philippines' most powerful political families centers on a former anti-drug officer from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, who publicly stated that there is evidence that the current president is a drug user, despite the case never being pursued.

Last week, Duterte's close ally, Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, convened a hearing where former anti-drug officer Jonathan Morales, under oath, claimed that a government official prevented him from investigating a male politician named "Bongbong Marcos," also known as "Bongot." Although informants provided photos of the suspect engaging in illegal drug activities, no charges were filed.