Imee Marcos grateful for family’s second chance: We’ve been ‘oppressed’, ‘mocked’ for years

FILE PHOTO: Senator Imee Marcos. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Imee Marcos, sister of presumptive president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., said their family is “very, very grateful” for the second chance given to them  by the Filipino people, as she claimed they have been “oppressed” and “mocked” for years.

During Congress’ canvassing of votes for the presidential and vice-presidential elections on Wednesday, Marcos said her family has been supposedly on the wrong end of cases and criticisms, implying that her younger brother’s election as president is another chance for their family.

Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the country’s 10th President, was toppled via a bloodless uprising known worldwide as the People Power Revolution in 1986 amid martial law and massive corruption hounding his administration. The Marcoses flew to Hawaii and eventually faced a slew of graft and corruption cases following the discovery of huge amounts of ill-gotten wealth by the Marcos family.

“Yes we’re very, very grateful for a second chance as it were, dahil medyo mabigat ang pinagdaanan ng aming pamilya, talagang matapos ‘yong 1986 kung ano-anong kaso ang hinarap namin bukod pa do’n sa pangungutya at pang-aapi, sabihin na natin, eh medyo hirap talaga ‘yong pamilya namin for the past almost four decades,” Imee Marcos told reporters at the House of Representatives.

“So nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat ng nagtiwala sa amin, mula sa mga loyalista, mga Ilokano, lahat ng naniniwala na kinakailangan ng ating bansa ay talagang matibay na pamumuno,” she added.

READ: Marcos’ martial law: Golden age for corruption, abuses

Imee Marcos, the eldest among the three biological children of Marcos Sr. and former first lady Imelda Marcos, was at the House of Representatives as she was one of the Senate’s delegates for the joint session of Congress. She said she was at the canvassing as she chairs the Senate committee on electoral reforms.

Asked what role she would play once her younger brother Bongbong is inaugurated as the 17th president of the country, Imee Marcos said she would be a “super Ate” (great elder sister).

She also underscored the importance of having an executive and legislative branches of government on good terms, noting that outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration enjoyed such relationship with Congress.

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“Sapat na siguro maging super Ate sa Senado, okay na ‘yon, malaking bagay na ‘yon, at marami nang trabaho ‘yon […] well I think it’s very, very useful for those in the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch to work hand-in-hand, ideally,” Imee Marcos said.

“We have a more harmonious relationship, I think it’s not a secret that President Duterte has experienced (this),” she added.

Bongbong Marcos has not yet been proclaimed but he is leading in the partial and unofficial count of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) with more than 31 million votes.

Congress, sitting National Board of Canvassers for presidential and vice presidential votes, is poised to proclaim the winning candidates this Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Bongbong Marcos’ chief of staff, lawyer Vic Rodriguez, said that the presumptive president would be attending the proclamation at the House of Representatives.

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