Singer Imelda Papin is newest PCSO official

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Imelda Papin pose for a photo, following her induction into the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Board of Directors in Malacañan Palace, Manila, on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 . —photo from the Presidential Communications Office

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has named singer-turned-politician Imelda Papin as an acting member of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) board of directors.

She took her oath before the President on Tuesday morning, according to a post on Radio Television Malacañang’s Facebook page.

As of this writing, the Palace has yet to reply to queries about when Papin was appointed to the five-person board and how long her term would be.

READ: Marcos picks ex-court judge as new chair of PCSO Board

Her appointment came a week after Marcos designated Felix Reyes, a retired judge, as PCSO chair.

A supporter of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the 68-year-old Papin was a renowned singer during the 1970s and 1980s, and churned out hits like “Bakit (Kung Liligaya Ka sa Piling ng Iba),” and “Isang Linggong Pag-Ibig.”

She was often referred to as “Asia’s Sentimental Songstress.” After the 1986 Edsa People Power revolution that ousted Marcos Sr., Papin stayed with the Marcos family during their exile in Hawaii.

In 1995, she ran for Camarines Sur governor but lost. She was elected vice governor in 1998 and served for two consecutive terms until 2004. She ran for the same post in 2019 and won but lost in 2022 in her gubernatorial bid. —Julie M. Aurelio