FACT-CHECK: ‘Hard drugs’ not legal in the Netherlands

CLAIM: The Netherlands allows the use of other harmful drugs that are otherwise banned in the Philippines 

RATING: FALSE

A video posted by aspiring politician Jimmy Bondoc falsely claimed that the Netherlands has legalized the use of dangerous drugs, which are banned in the Philippines.

Flagged content: On Feb. 28, Bondoc’s official Facebook page uploaded a spliced One News video report where a Dutch local interrupted a correspondent during her live reporting in The Hague. 

• The caption of the video reads, “Alam niyo ba na sa Netherlands, ligal ang maraming droga na dito sa atin ay ipinagbabawal? Kaso nga lang, hindi lang marijuana kundi iba pang mas mabibigat at baka mapinsalang uri. Panuorin ang video para sa karagdagang kaalaman.” 
• Superimposed on the video is text that reads, “ALAM NIYO BA NA SA NETHERLANDS LIGAL ANG MARAMING DROGA?” 
• Towards the end of the video is a clip of former President Rodrigo Duterte saying, “My God, I hate drugs.” 

Our debunk: Although the Netherlands tolerates the selling of cannabis products for recreational use, it still does not allow the possession, selling, and production of “hard drugs.” 

• The Netherlands’ Opium Act of 1976 categorized hard drugs as narcotics and psychotropic substances, which carry a serious risk of damage to both a person’s health and society.  
• Substances listed under Schedule 1 of the Opium Act include heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, and ecstasy, all of which are also illegal in the Philippines.
• Soft drugs, however, such as marijuana, hashish, and psilocybin, are tolerated for consumption due to their minimal potential for harm.
• Sedatives such as Valium and Seresta are also classified under “soft drugs” in the Netherlands but remain strictly regulated and would generally require a medical prescription for legal access.

Rewind: Bondoc is an avid supporter of the former president, who is detained by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, The Netherlands. 

• Bondoc was among the celebrities who endorsed Duterte during the 2016 presidential election; after Duterte won, Bondoc was appointed to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).
• In 2025, He failed to capture a seat in the Senate, running under the president’s party, PDP-Laban.

Why we fact-checked this: The video has amassed 88,000 views, 1,600 reactions, and 97 comments as of writing. 

• Bondoc is a public figure with 587,000 Facebook followers. He has openly criticized the jurisdiction of the ICC over Duterte’s case, criticizing it for “outsourcing” witnesses against the former president.

Spot the fake: Since the arrest of Duterte, both the ICC and the Netherlands have been the subject of false narratives from pro-Duterte public figures and social media trolls. 

• Several Facebook accounts have targeted the ICC, maliciously labeling it as a “kangaroo court,” which refers to a sham and biased legal proceeding. 
• Other labels, such as “crocodile court” or “cash court,” are also used to frame the ICC as a corrupt institution. 
• Last year, repetitive, coordinated comments made Duterte-related content the most engaged across all posts published on the court’s official Facebook page. Savannah Lantay

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