(Nov 27): Senator Imee Marcos, the estranged sister of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, said there’s a void in the nation’s leadership as politicians grapple with a growing corruption scandal and instead is backing his deputy as a potential replacement.
“There is a vacuum at the top,” Imee Marcos said during an interview in her Manila office on Thursday. “And that’s a problem because all sorts of sinister and malignant forces have jumped in to fill that void.”
Tensions between the siblings escalated this month after Imee, 70, speaking at an anti-graft rally, claimed that her brother was addicted to cocaine, allegations the president’s office denied. This week, Marcos took a swipe at Imee, expressing concerns for her and saying “the lady that you see talking on TV is not my sister.”
Asked how she would know about her brother’s alleged drug problem, Imee said she still receives reports from her sibling’s friends, doctors, presidential security and long-time family staff. “For some reason, I suppose because I’m the eldest, they still report to me,” she said.
A representative from the president’s office pushed back on Imee’s comments, saying the president had “already addressed this drug-related concern with a medical certificate that indicated a negative drug-use test result.”
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The public spat comes at a critical period for the Southeast Asian nation, which is in the middle of a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal involving funds meant for flood infrastructure. Imee is siding with Vice President Sara Duterte, the president’s former ally who has now become his biggest political rival after their close relationship collapsed over policy differences.
With the Marcos administration facing one of its biggest challenges yet as the graft mess implicates those in government — including the president himself — there have been some calls for the 68-year-old to step down. But most anti-graft protesters have pushed for the prosecution of those tied to the scandal including lawmakers, officials and contractors.
Imee Marcos said should the situation worsen, a constitutional succession would be the most ideal option. “If it’s going to be the vice president, I’m sure that she’ll step into the void and fill in.”
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Her comments in support of Sara Duterte come on the eve the International Criminal Court’s Appeals Chamber is due to deliver its judgment on the appeal of Rodrigo Duterte, Sara’s father and former leader of the Philippines, for interim release.
The court in The Hague may grant interim release, meaning Duterte could be released from detention while awaiting further proceedings, or it could deny the appeal, meaning Sara’s father remains in custody pending trial or other proceedings.
During the midterm elections in May, Imee quit her brother’s senatorial slate to join Sara Duterte on the campaign trail, eventually securing re-election. Duterte’s allies outperformed in the Senate race, in what was an unexpected setback for Marcos, with the legislative chamber shelving the impeachment complaint against the vice president about three months later.
Sara Duterte, who herself faces complaints on misuse of public funds which she’s denied, is seen as a strong candidate for the 2028 presidential polls. Marcos isn’t eligible to run beyond his single, six-year term.
Gary Ador Dionisio, dean at the De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde School of Diplomacy and Governance, said Imee’s latest comments won’t help the country rise from the corruption mess. “What we need is more of clarity, more evidence than controversy,” he said.
As a potential president, Dionisio said Sara Duterte “has questionable and problematic leadership and governance performance. The replacement is like choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea.”
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A representative for Sara Duterte didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The sibling squabble also highlights the rift that’s opened up within the Philippines’ ruling family, which made a stunning political comeback in the 2022 elections, more than three decades after their late dictator father Ferdinand Marcos was ousted by a popular revolt in 1986.
Some US$10 billion was allegedly misappropriated during their father’s two-decade rule, forcing the family to flee. About US$3 billion was recovered, as of 2021.
Imee, whose political career began during her father’s term, said on Thursday that the divide with her brother started when she felt she was eased out when she learned that cocaine entered the picture.
“I said, will you please get your act together and stop this? I guess they didn’t want to hear about that. And they kind of boxed me out.”
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