It’s time for Imee Marcos to decide where she stands 鈥� Garin
After skipping a campaign sortie of the government-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas in protest of the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Imee Marcos has to decide where she will stand in terms of political alliances, Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin said on Friday, March 15, 2025. Photo from House of Representatives FB page
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte — After skipping the administration-backed senatorial campaign rally in Tacloban City in protest of the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Imee Marcos now needs to decide where she will stand in terms of political alliances, Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin said on Friday.
Garin, in an online press briefing, said she understood Marcos when the latter withdrew from the campaign sortie because she disagreed with the government’s decision to allow Duterte’s arrest. But Garin said the senator, the sister of President Ferdinand Marcos, now needs to clarify her politics.
Marcos is a member of Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, the administration-backed senatorial slate, but she continues to defend the Dutertes despite its family members attacking her brother.
“Kababayan po si Senator Imee Marcos ano, I was born and raised in Leyte, Waray-waray din ako, naiintindihan ko ‘yong kanyang mga nararamdaman, but I think the bigger problem that Senator Imee Marcos has is ‘yong pagbalanse no’ng kanyang sarili at kanyang politika,” Garin told reporters.
(Senator Imee Marcos and I are from the same province. I was born and raised in Leyte; I’m also a Waray so I understand what she feels, but I think the bigger problem that Sen. Imee Marcos has is the need to balance her own views and her politics.)
“I believe ano na eh, it’s time for the for the Senator to really decide kasi kung ano man ang tatahakin niya at people will respect and believe in you more if you take one stand para makatutok na talaga siya kung saan ‘yong direction ng kanyang kampanya,” she added.
(I believe it’s already time for the Senator to really decide on the political steps that she wants to tread, because people will respect and believe in you more if you take one stand so that you can focus your attention in a particular direction of your campaign.)
According to Garin, it appears Marcos is trying to win over the votes of Duterte’s supporters, while still getting support from Alyansa.
“Ako sa politika ang paniniwala ko is take a stand, go with what you believe, and join the group that you believe in. In the case of Senator Imee Marcos kasi marami siyang mga nasasabi against the programs of the current administration pero sumama naman siya dito sa Alyansa (Para sa) Bagong Pilipinas which is actually headed by the President, so ‘yon bang iba ang lumalabas sa mga nasasabi niya, iba naman ‘yong nakikitang action niya,” Garin explained.
(In politics, I believe that you need to take a stand, go with what you believe, and join the group that you believe in. In the case of Senator Imee Marcos she has a lot of things to say about the programs of the current administration but she joined the Alyansa (Para sa) Bagong Pilipinas which is actually headed by the President, so what she says comes off as different from what she does.)
“Sa politika kasi that’s a deadly combination kasi dapat tumayo ka eh, if you are on the right side dito. Kung nasa pula ka, sa pula ka; kung nasa puti ka, nasa puti ka, so in this case siyempre lalo na’t medyo kailangan niya pa ng kadagdagan na boto, she cannot afford to lose the votes of the Duterte supporters […] Pero kung nandidito naman siya na talagang openly defending the former president, mawawala naman ‘yong suporta ng Alyansa sa kanya,” she added.
(In politics that’s a deadly combination because you have to stand, if you are on the right side, you stay on the right side. If you’re with the reds, stay with the reds, and if you are with the whites, stay with the whites. So in this case of course, since she needs votes, she cannot afford to lose the votes of the Duterte supporters […] But if she continues to openly defend the former president, she’ll lose Alyansa’s support.)
Earlier, Marcos apologized to people from Leyte, her maternal hometown province, as she would not be able to attend the rally because she cannot accept what happened to Duterte.
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Last Tuesday, Duterte was arrested upon arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Hong Kong by police authorities assisting the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) which in turn was implementing the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC was investigating Duterte for his war on drugs that left thousands dead.
Duterte was flown several hours later to The Hague, Netherlands where he is now waiting his trial before the ICC.
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According to Sen. Marcos, she saw some semblance in the way Duterte was sent to the Netherlands to the circumstances faced by her family, particularly that of their father, former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
READ: Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest shocks Imee Marcos: We didn’t learn
Marcos Sr. ruled the Philippines for over 20 years, but was exiled after the People Power Revolution in 1986, a peaceful, bloodless movement, forced him out of office.
