Torn Senator Imee Marcos, who once denied a rift with her younger brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., or take sides on the rift between the latter and Vice President Sara Duterte, has made her final stand this time around by stepping down from the Alyansa.
TED ALJIBE/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE and photograph courtesy of Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has remained silent on his relationship with his sister Senator Imee Marcos since the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
On Wednesday, Imee withdrew from the administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas (APBP) and continued to run as an independent.
Her main reasons include Duterte’s arrest and the misaligned ideals and principles between her and her brother.
APBP’s campaign manager, Navotas City Representative Toby Tiangco, accepted Imee’s decision and wished her luck on her campaign.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro believed in the senator’s decision and agreed with her sentiments.
“If her beliefs really do not align with the beliefs of Alyansa, it would probably be better for her to leave because if she does not believe in Alyansa's programs, there will not be a good relationship,” she said, referring further statements regarding the campaign to Tiangco.
PBBM silent
While all this political noise continues to make rounds on social media, Castro said Marcos has not responded to this issue.
“We don't hear a word from the President. (Senator Imee’s) the only one who talks about things like that. Maybe that's her perspective, but we don't hear anything from the President,” Castro said.
Meanwhile, Castro refused to comment on the relationship between the two siblings and said to wait for Marcos to speak up on the matter.
“We cannot say that there’s a rift in the relationship of the two siblings. So, let’s wait if he’ll say anything,” she said.
“But you know the President's behavior, he's not very...you know that, he's not short-tempered. So, no matter how much, even though you saw Senator Imee Marcos who was there at the Maisug rally while former President Duterte was criticizing PBBM, we haven't heard anything. We haven't heard any resentment, if any, from the President towards his sister,” she added.
Imee’s absence in previous Alyansa rallies was noticeable. Out of 11 rallies, she has skipped six.
During the recent campaign rallies in Cavite and Laguna, Marcos did not mention his elder sister and campaigned for ‘eleven’ candidates.
Imee was not the only one absent from the campaign trail, but also Las Piñas City Representative Camille Villar, whose family is associated with Duterte, with her brother Mark Villar serving as the Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways. Marcos mentioned Villar in his remarks but not his sister Imee.
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