SENATE PRIB PHOTO/BONGBONG MARCOS FACEBOOK PAGE
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senator Imee Marcos, sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., would likely be part of the administration鈥檚 senatorial slate for the 2025 elections, according to Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Barbers was asked how Senator Marcos鈥� statement of being unsure if she will be part of the administration鈥檚 senatorial slate will affect the alliance of the Nacionalista Party (NP) and the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP).
Senator Marcos has been a member of the NP since 2019, while President Marcos chairs the PFP. The PFP has formalized an alliance with Lakas-CMD headed by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, the Marcos siblings鈥� cousin.
鈥淚 think, I have no doubt, the presidential sister, Senator Imee, will be part of the slate because she belongs to the [Nacionalista] Party [鈥 I鈥檓 pretty sure that she is part of the slate,鈥� Barbers said in Filipino.
鈥淯nless, I do not know what the issue is. But my honest opinion is that she鈥檚 part of it,鈥� she added.
On June 24, Senator Marcos clarified that she will seek reelection, and not run for the Manila mayoral post. She also said she is unsure if she will be part of the administration鈥檚 senatorial slate.
鈥淚 see the different slates. I think there will be 50 candidates because we are too many.聽 There鈥檚 Lakas, there鈥檚 PFP, [and] there鈥檚 too many.聽 That鈥檚 why I am confused.聽 But we would look at options, there鈥檚 still time,鈥� she said in Filipino.
READ: Imee Marcos won鈥檛 run for mayor of Manila in 2025聽
Marcos was elected senator in 2019, running under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago coalition formed by then-Davao City Mayor and now Vice President Sara Duterte.
READ: Sara Duterte, Imee Marcos forge 9-party alliance聽
The Dutertes, however, are believed to be feuding with President Marcos.
In 2023, there were rumors of cracks within the UniTeam聽after the Vice President left Lakas-CMD, seen by observers as a result of Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo鈥檚 demotion from her senior deputy speaker role. The UniTeam was the presidential campaign team of President Marcos and Vice President Duterte.
The House of Representatives under Romualdez then reallocated the proposed confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President, the Department of Education (DepEd), and other civilian institutions to agencies securing the West Philippine Sea.
The Vice President鈥檚 father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, criticized President Marcos and Romualdez.聽 The older Duterte even called the President a drug addict and accused him of seeking Charter change to extend his term.
The President denied these, saying that they only wanted to change the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution. He also speculated that the older Duterte鈥檚 statements may have been due to fentanyl, a strong opioid drug that the former leader admitted to taking.
READ: Marcos shoots back: Ex-president Duterte takes fentanyl聽
Last June 19, Vice President Duterte resigned as DepEd chief. Days later, Senator Marcos reiterated her all-out support for the Vice President, saying that she will be with Duterte in whatever fight or challenge she may face.
READ: Imee Marcos reiterates all-out support for Sara Duterte聽