In the rarefied world of the Philippines’ most powerful political dynasty, secrets are currency, and history is often rewritten. But a new, explosive allegation has just emerged from the shadows of the past, threatening to shatter the carefully curated image of Senator Imee Marcos. For years, the controversy surrounding her education at Princeton University has been a point of contention, a “he-said, she-said” battle over a degree that the university itself says was never awarded. But now, a viral commentary has introduced a darker, more scandalous twist to the narrative: the claim that her departure from the Ivy League institution was not due to academic struggles, but due to a “dark habit” involving illicit substances—a secret that her own father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., allegedly knew about and feared.

The timing of this revelation could not be more volatile. It comes at the height of a bitter, public feud between Senator Imee and her brother, President Bongbong Marcos (PBBM). In recent weeks, the Senator has launched a blistering campaign against the administration, culminating in shocking public accusations where she labeled the President an “addict” and questioned his fitness to lead. She has painted herself as the responsible, “truth-telling” sister, the one cleaning up the family’s messes.

But this new report flips the script entirely. Citing historical footnotes and biographies like Raymond Bonner’s Waltzing with a Dictator, commentators are now suggesting that the “addict” label Imee is hurling at her brother may actually be a projection of her own past. The allegations claim that during her time at Princeton in the 1970s—where she lived in a lavish estate and was reportedly surrounded by armed security—her academic journey was cut short not because she couldn’t handle the coursework, but because she got “mixed up” in a lifestyle that was incompatible with the university’s standards.

The narrative paints a picture of a young woman of immense privilege, living a life of excess far away from home, struggling with personal demons that even her powerful father couldn’t control. It suggests that Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was deeply concerned about his daughter’s behavior, confiding in diplomats that he wasn’t sure “Princeton was good for her” due to the influences she was exposed to. This stands in stark contrast to the image Imee tries to project today: that of the disciplined, serious intellectual of the family.

If these allegations are true, they expose a staggering level of hypocrisy. It would mean that the very “vice” she is weaponizing against her brother—without concrete proof—is the same one that allegedly derailed her own youth. Critics are calling it a classic case of “gaslighting,” a desperate attempt to deflect attention from her own insecurities and historical baggage by projecting them onto the President. The irony is further compounded by the fact that President Marcos, who famously donated a kidney to his father in a life-saving operation, lives a life that is medically incompatible with the kind of substance abuse his sister accuses him of.

The “Princeton Drug Allegation” also serves as a potential explanation for the erratic and aggressive behavior the Senator has displayed recently. Is she attacking the administration to create a smokescreen? Is she trying to destroy her brother’s credibility before her own secrets are fully exposed? The commentary suggests that this “dark habit” from her past might still be haunting her, or at least, driving her need to tear down the legitimate heir to the family’s political legacy.

This story transforms the Marcos family feud from a political disagreement into a Shakespearean tragedy of secrets, lies, and betrayal. It suggests that the “UniTeam” wasn’t just broken by politics, but by deep-seated, personal resentments rooted in a past that refuses to stay buried. As the public digests these shocking claims, the question is no longer just about who graduated from where, but about who is telling the truth about who they really are. The “Princeton Lie” may have just been the tip of the iceberg.