Imelda Marcos slips before song number in Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Former first lady and now Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda Marcos scared her audience when she lost her balance and fell on the floor while she was about to sing at the Capitol Social Hall about 3 p.m. Saturday.

Her children—Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos and Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos—as well as Gov. Gwen Garcia rushed to the 82-year-old widow of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos to check on how she was.

Her two security aides also helped her up.

But the former first lady said she was not hurt and and went ahead and sang the famous Cebuano ballad “Matod Nila” with Rep. Pablo Garcia of Cebu’s 2nd district, the Cebu governor’s father.

The Marcos family was in Cebu upon the invitation of Governor Garcia as part of the month-long celebration of the 442nd founding anniversary of Cebu province.

Imelda and Imee graced the opening of the Cebu Performing Arts Center inside the campus of the University of the Philippines Cebu College in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City on Friday night.

On Saturday afternoon, Imelda and her two children witnessed the signing of the sisterhood agreement between Cebu and South Cotabato as well as the distribution of P5 million in financial assistance to the flood victims in Albay at the Capitol Social Hall.

Imelda then spoke to thank Garcia for inviting her family to Cebu. She recalled her various visits to Cebu when her husband, Ferdinand Marcos, was President.

When she was about to sing and moved around the stage, she apparently forgot that she was on a platform.  When she stepped on the edge of the platform, she lost her balance and fell on her left side.

A loud thud was heard and the audience was shocked.

After the event at the Capitol Social Hall, she and her children joined the provincial officials at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City for the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo festival.