Sen. Imee Marcos rarely speaking with Speaker Romualdez
Sen. Imee Marcos (left) and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. (File photos from the Senate and the House of Representatives)
ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Sen. Imee Marcos revealed on Wednesday that she had not been speaking much with her cousin, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
In a press conference here, the senator said she does, however, greet Romualdez in public functions.
Marcos cites her opposition to Romualdez’s advocacies, including an alleged link to a failed People’s Initiative and the 2025 budget, as a possible reason for their noncommunication.
“I think there’s basic courtesy when I see him in public during bill signings and other public occasions, but maybe he’s irritated with me. I did not agree with the People’s Initiative to amend the constitution. I also did not agree with the budget and other issues,” Marcos said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Marcos was asked in a news conference about her relationship with Romualdez, whose father, former Leyte Gov. Benjamin Romualdez, brother of the senator’s mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos.
Article continues after this advertisementIn contrast, she considered Vice President Sara Duterte a friend. Duterte is facing an impeachment trial in the Senate following the impeachment complaint filed by the House headed by her cousin.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: Imee Marcos still champions ‘unity’ amid impeach raps vs VP Duterte
Despite her friendship with Duterte, Marcos admitted that she remained uncertain if she would appear in the senatorial slate of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) headed by Duterte’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, now that she was included in the administration’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas official campaign launch in Ilocos Norte.
“I am not certain [about joining PDP-Laban]. Some say that I’m fishing in two rivers [namamangka ako sa dalawang ilog], being overly cautions, a user. I don’t think so. I just really don’t like trouble. You know what, I’m still the sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” she said.
Marcos joined her brother, President Marcos, in the proclamation rally of the administration’s senatorial slate at the Gaisano ICC in Iloilo City late Thursday afternoon.
About 35,000 people joined the rally, according to Col. Kim Legada, director of the Iloilo City police.
The administration’s slate is composed of Senators Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Lito Lapid, Bong Revilla and Francis Tolentino, former Senators Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao, former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, former Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo, Deputy Speaker Camille Villar, and Makati City Mayor Abby Binay.
In recent elections, Ilonggo voters were inclined toward the Liberal Party (LP), the party of Ilonggo former Sen. Franklin Drilon and its allies.
In 2022, then-presidential candidate Leni Robredo won big with more than 149,000 votes in Iloilo City and 728,000 in Iloilo province, garnering more than 50 percent of the vote in both places.
LP’s 2019 senatorial candidates, Bam Aquino and Mar Roxas, were among the best performers here, with more than 500,000 votes.
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Roxas also did well as the party’s 2016 presidential candidate, garnering more than 600,000 votes from Iloilo province alone, with the eventual winner, then-Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, coming only in third.
