Imee Marcos’ gamble: siding with the Dutertespublished at 11:27 British Summer Time 12 May
Joel Guinto
Live reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesSenator Imee Marcos began her re-election campaign as part of her younger brother Bongbong Marcos’ slate, but announced her withdrawal in protest to the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte last March.
Shortly after that, Imee released an ad that showed her re-election bid being endorsed by Duterte’s daughter, Vice-President Sara. In the ad, both women are dressed in black, condemning the situation under Marcos’ presidency – where many, they say, are “starving for food and justice”.
Imee is not officially running under the elder Duterte’s ticket, but some analysts have said her affiliation with them could sway things in the Dutertes’ favour.
Sara’s endorsement is also expected to give Imee’s campaign a much-needed boost. Imee is fighting tooth-and-nail for the last few spots in the 12 Senate seats up for grabs, according to opinion polls.
Family feuds are a staple of Philippine politics, though Imee insists she is not feuding with her brother. She has however criticised her brother’s closest associates, which include members of their extended family.
Meanwhile her alliance with the Dutertes goes way back. When Rodrigo Duterte ran for president in 2016, he credited Imee as the only governor to support the campaign. In 2019, Imee was elected senator under the Duterte ticket.
But when the Marcos-Duterte alliance unravelled, Imee found herself in the middle. Voters could not figure out which side she was on, contributing to her poor performance in the surveys, analysts say.
With her re-election on the line, Imee is on Sara’s side. When the results come in we’ll find out if that gamble pays off.
