MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. laughed off the issue of supposed Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) documents linking him and an actress to illegal drug use.

The Philippine leader simply laughed and walked away when asked by reporters about the issue during the celebration of the GOCC day at the PICC in Pasay City.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, however, was heard describing that the claim as “contrived.”

Former PDEA intelligence officer Jonathan Morales earlier claimed in a Senate hearing that leaked 2012 documents allegedly implicating then Senator Bongbong Marcos and an actress to illegal drug use were authentic.

PDEA chief Moro Virgilio Lazo has since refuted Morales.

‘POLITICAL CIRCUS’

House Deputy Speaker and Quezon 2nd District Rep. David “Jay-jay” Suarez has tagged as “political circus” the continued hearings into the alleged PDEA report linking the President to illegal drugs.

PDEA earlier released a statement dismissing the documents as fake and warning the public against believing such claims "in an age where Artificial Intelligence can generate realistic fake videos, spurious documents."

But Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa has insisted that the documents are authentic. He will preside over the continuation of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs’ hearing into the matter on Tuesday.

“Sa akin this is a mere political circus, I think this is part of a bigger orchestrated destabilization movement against the Marcos administration,” Suarez said in a press conference on Monday.

“Nakita naman na natin na nag-issue na ng statement ang PDEA. Diniscredit na nila iyong document, wala daw katototohanan iyon. Tapos pati ‘yung credibility noong hinarap na witness questionable. So, sa akin, kung ‘yun na iyon, eh 'di ‘yun na iyon,” he added.

“I do hope and I pray to our colleagues in the Senate na let’s focus on issues that have more national significance to the lives of the Filipino people,” Suarez urged the Senate panel.