NAGTIPUNAN, Quirino - Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso on Thursday denied that he has been candidly promoting illegal drugs use by frequently using the "two joints" hand sign, which has long been linked to the use of marijuana.
The hand sign commonly refers to how some drug users hold their marijuana sticks, with the ring and pinky fingers up in the air.
"Drugs is prohibited under our law. This is not drugs, this is 2 joints:
Isko, Doc Willie," Domagoso told reporters when asked to explain why he uses the hand sign.
"Yorme, Ong," he said, saying the lifted fingers look like a "Y" while the folded ones symbolize an "O."
Domagoso said he first used the hand sign during a sortie in Cotabato, where several people flashed the hand sign and shouted "two joints" during one of his motorcades.
"I always wanted to relate to our constituency," he said.
"I think one of the elements in leadership is you understand your people. When you understand them, then makakagawa ka ng mga polisiya na direkta sa kanila (then you can make policies directed at them)," he said.
As regards the marijuana-related catchphrase "don't panic, it's organic", which Domagoso has also been using, the presidential candidate said it can be applied to their attitude toward their pre-election surveys standing.
In Pulse Asia's January 2022 survey, Domagoso shared the third spot with Sen. Manny Pacquiao, each getting 8 percent, while former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. topped the polls with 60 percentage points.
"Organic na lumaki eh (It grew organically)" Domagoso explained, referring to viral videos of him flashing the "two joints" sign.
"Kaya (We say) don't panic, [because] we're not panicking. You've been asking us about our numbers, we're not panicking," he said.
The presidential aspirant underscored that he has repeatedly proven his stance against narcotics, noting that he has never used an illegal drug substance even when he was a minor.
Last year, Domagoso and his vice presidential candidate Willie Ong were among candidates who voluntarily underwent drug testing at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency after President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that a presidential aspirant is known for using cocaine.
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