Imee Marcos | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senator of the Philippines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office June 30, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 26thGovernor of Ilocos Norte | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office June 30, 2010 – June 30, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vice Governor | Angelo Barba | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Michael Marcos Keon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Matthew Marcos Manotoc | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the Philippine House of Representatives fromIlocos Norte's2nd district | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office June 30, 1998 – June 30, 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Simeon Valdez | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Bongbong Marcos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the Regular Batasang Pambansa from Ilocos Norte'sat-large district | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office July 23, 1984 – March 25, 1986 Serving with Antonio Raquiza | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairperson of theKB Foundation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1977–1986 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Benjamin Agarao Jr. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Position established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Position abolished | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios Romualdez Marcos (1955-11-12)November 12, 1955 (age 70) Mandaluyong,Rizal, Philippines | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Nacionalista (2009–present) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations | KBL (1980–2009) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Tommy Manotoc (separated) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3, includingMatthew Manotoc | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parents | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Marcos family Romualdez family | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater |
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Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios "Imee"Romualdez Marcos-Manotoc[5] (locally[ˈaɪmiˈmaɾkɔs]; born November 12, 1955) is a Filipino politician and film producer serving as asenator since 2019. She previously served as governor ofIlocos Norte from 2010 to 2019 and as therepresentative of Ilocos Norte's2nd district from 1998 to 2007. She is a daughter of dictator and10thPhilippine presidentFerdinand Marcos and convicted former first ladyImelda Marcos, and the older sister of the current president,Bongbong Marcos.[6]
Imee Marcos' political career began duringher father's martial law regime, becoming chairperson of theKabataang Barangay (KB) Foundation in 1977[7] and a member of theBatasang Pambansa in 1984. It was during her KB term that activistArchimedes Trajano was abducted, tortured, and murdered in 1977 shortly after publicly questioning her appointment to the office.[8] With her interest in media, she produced various film projects such asNonoy Marcelo-directed propaganda films: the 1977 documentaryDa Real Makoy[9] and the 1978 television filmTadhana,[10] the first Philippine animated feature film; she helped establish theMetro Manila Popular Music Festival in 1978,[11][12] and was made director general of theExperimental Cinema of the Philippines in 1982. After her family was ousted from power in thePeople Power Revolution of 1986, she and her husbandTommy Manotoc were exiled inMorocco.[8][13]
After the death of Ferdinand Marcos in 1989, PresidentCorazon Aquino allowed the Marcoses to return to the Philippines in 1991.[14] Imee ran for political office in 1998, and won three terms in the House of Representatives and three terms as governor of Ilocos Norte. She was elected to the Senate in the2019 elections for a six-year term. She ran for re-election in the 2025 midterm elections, and won placing 12th, securing a second term.[15][16][17]
Imee Marcos's conviction in the 1993Trajano v. Marcos case (978 F 2d 493) before the U.S. district court in Honolulu is noted in U.S. legal circles for exposing the weaknesses of theact of state doctrine, allowing for similar suits to be filed.[18][19][20]
She has been linked to thestolen wealth of her family, identified as a beneficiary of various Marcos offshore holdings as revealed in thePanama Papers[21] and the findings in the court convictions of her mother Imelda Marcos.[22] These holdings were defined as "ill-gotten wealth" by theSupreme Court of the Philippines, and are the subject of repatriation efforts by thePresidential Commission on Good Government.[23][24] Amidst the growing rift between the Marcos and Duterte families during her brother Bongbong's administration, she has frequently sided with the Dutertes and their allies.[25][26][27][28][29]
Imee Marcos was born Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios Romualdez Marcos on the morning of November 12, 1955 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital inMandaluyong (then a municipality inRizal)[30] toImelda andFerdinand Marcos.[31] She has three other siblings:Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the currentpresident;[32]Irene Marcos-Araneta;[33] andAimee Marcos, who was adopted.
She turned ten years old the day afterwards her father was elected in 1965. In an interview with her family-backedFilipinas Magazine in 1999, she admitted that she was uncomfortable living in the palace because it was too confining, very formal, and fixed. She also added that it is "not necessarily the most appropriate place to bring up a kid but it was quite nice".[34]
While residing at the palace, Marcos asserted that she attended 'regular' schools in Manila. However, she had to discontinue her education due to the challenges faced by the First Family in going out caused by protest rallies outside Malacañang. These rallies, met with military assaults resulting in numerous Filipino deaths, were a response to her family's enduringconjugal dictatorship that spanned over two decades.[35]
During the2019 elections, Marcos's educational background has been steeped in controversy. Under her parents' conjugal dictatorship, Marcos graduated from at least four schools (including three universities), she graduated as "Cum Laude" and "class valedictorian" in two public occasions.[36][37][38][39]
Marcos claimed that she graduated as class valedictorian from Santa Catalina Convent (now calledSanta Catalina School) inMonterey, California.[38]
On 21 March 2019, the assistant head of the Santa Catalina school, John Aimé, stated the following: "'(Imee Marcos) attended our school for a brief period in the fall of 1972 — she isnot a graduate".[38]
In 1973, Imee Marcos enrolled atPrinceton University, where she took a variety of courses in religion and politics though she did not declare anacademic major.[40]
Marcos's stay at Princeton was marred with controversy with black and Asian students (Asian-American Students Association - AASA) protesting her admission for allowing the daughter of a dictator to study at the university and as a potential threat to students who opposed the Marcos regime.[40][41]
In the bookSome Are Smarter Than Others, author Ricardo Manapat reveals that after theEDSA revolution, investigators from thePresidential Commission on Good Government found out that Marcos's tuition,US$10,000 monthly allowance, and the 18th-century estate she stayed in while studying at Princeton was paid for using taxpayer money that could be traced partly to the intelligence funds of the Office of the President, and partly to some of the 15 bank accounts that the Marcoses had secretly opened in the US under assumed names.[44]
Imee Marcos's time as a student at Princeton became a public issue once again in 2018, when she filed her candidacy for the Philippine Senate in the 2019 elections.[42]
Marcos claimed in numerous venues, including a campaign leaflet and her official website, that she had graduated from Princeton. This resulted in social media uproar which brought up old news articles to show that Imee Marcos had not.[1]
On her campaign website, Marcos uploaded an official biography that claimed that she was "one of the first female graduates from anIvy League School—Princeton University, graduating with honors,"[45] but this claim was quickly disproved by news reports and on social media.[42][43] In addition, she had stated in her curriculum vitae during her stay in the House of Representatives that she had graduated with honors from Princeton with an "Independent Major in Religion and Politics".[31]
In a later interview with news anchorTina Marasigan onDZMM TeleRadyo, she was asked whether she really graduated from Princeton or not, and whether her status as a Princeton graduate could be proven. She evaded the question and answered:[46]
Yes, correct: it really is the season -- it's election season even though it hasn't been declared by COMELEC. This was also done to Bongbong and to others we know. My record speaks for itself. I think, performance-wise, we can see that we know what we are doing and we were able to help many. Most of all, we have many solutions that can help the multitude. I believe that this is the first generation in which we can really end hunger and poverty. The science is already there for agriculture, the medicine is also there so that no one will die from infections and other diseases. So we really have no excuse. There is alsobig data and technology so we can monitor each and every poor person in the Philippines. Let us end poverty in this decade.[47]
TheABS-CBN News network noted that the video went viral as Marcos opted not to answer the question.[48] This was seconded byInterAksyon, pointing out that Marcos "avoided answering the question and instead diverted the topic to the scholastic records of her brother Bongbong Marcos."[49]
After her stay at Princeton, she then enrolled at theUniversity of the Philippines College of Law on 1979 as a day student, originally part of batch 1983.[42] Accordingly, her admission was controversial because the student body protested the fact that she had failed to meet the normal requirement of having a college degree, while they had to go through a stringent admissions process.[3]
A few days after the University of the Philippines held its recognition ceremonies for 1983, a televised recognition ceremony held at theMeralco Theater showed Imee Marcos graduating, and being honoredmagna cum laude even though she had not actually graduated. The ceremony was pushed by her parents,Ferdinand andImelda Marcos, who ruled the Philippines under their conjugal dictatorship.[3][42]
In the bookSome Are Smarter Than Others published in 1991 and written by Ricardo Manapat, the author detailed, "It appeared that Imee never had the proper qualification to enter the school and that her name never appeared in the list of approved graduates nor among the candidates endorsed for graduation by a committee."[37]
Marcos claimed in her curriculum vitae during her time at the House of Representatives that she graduated with a bachelor's degree from the UP College of Law. She also claimed that she graduatedmagna cum laude.[31]
A viral Facebook post later circulated in the social platform, claiming that Imee graduated from the University of the Philippines in 1983 as class valedictorian. The post included an alleged yearbook, which had Marcos in it.[51] The yearbook's authenticity was later proven to be false, as Marcos did not appear in any authenticated UP yearbook from 1983.[51] Coincidentally, Marcos's eldest son Borgy was also born in 1983, making it impossible for Marcos to graduate from UP Law on time.[52]
According to former UP Law dean Froilan Bacungan in the bookThe Turning Point: Twenty-six accounts of February events in the Philippines:[4]
"There was indeed some kind of a ceremony held which looked as if she graduated. I was there. It was a little bit PR that, strictly speaking, we should not have participated in. It borders in fact on a little bit of misrepresentation. No less than the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court graced the occasion...
...I allowed her to enter the College of Law in spite of the fact that she couldn't present a certificate proving that she had a bachelor's degree which was the basic requirement...
Imee had sounded very confident that she would submit the certificate. Maybe she was not telling the truth --- how can I know? Four years afterwards, when she could be considered for graduation, we discovered that she never submitted her [undergraduate] diploma. She was not given a bachelor of law degree and that meant she could not take the bar examination".[4]
TheAsian Institute of Management refused to provide any public information on whether Marcos was enrolled or had graduated from their school, as Marcos has claimed through her government resume that she also earned a "MA Management and Business Administration (MA MBA)" from the school.
Marcos and her siblings (Ferdinand Jr. andIrene) were studying overseas before Marcos signedProclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972. The siblings stayed there until they ended their studies, but would come home for Christmas and summer holidays[35] She turned 18 - the Philippines' age of majority, fourteen months after the declaration of Martial Law,[54] and played various political roles in the Martial Law administration - as chairperson of the Kabataang Barangay and as assemblyman to theBatasang Pambansa. She was already 30 when the People Power revolution finally deposed the Marcos administration in 1986.
| Position | Organization | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Chairperson | Kabataang Barangay Foundation | 1977–1986 |
| Chairperson | Popular Music Foundation of the Philippines[12] | 1978–1986 |
| Director general | Experimental Cinema of the Philippines | 1982–1985 |
| Chairperson | Friends of theNational Museum[55] | 1982–1986 |
| Head | Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation[56] | 1984–1986 |
| Assemblywoman | Batasang Pambansa | 1984–1986 |
After returning from Princeton, Marcos entered the world of politics as chairperson of the Kabataang Barangay Foundation in September 1977.[35][7] On the same day she became chairperson, studentArchimedes Trajano ofMapúa Institute of Technology was found brutally murdered after questioning her appointment at his school's open forum the day prior. She would later be convicted on the torture and killing of Trajano in later life.[57]
On June 30, 1984, she won a seat as one of two assemblyman to theBatasang Pambansa for Ilocos Norte (the other assemblyman wasAntonio V. Raquiza) under the wing of her father'sdictatorship. She formally held this role until the Batasang Pambansa was dissolved in the aftermath of the1986 EDSA Revolution, which ousted their family from power.[58]
From 1979 to 1986, she was consultant to the minister of theNational Media Production Center in Quezon City. From 1982 to 1985, she was director general of theExperimental Cinema of the Philippines (ECP) after recommendation from her parents, who were controlling the country through aconjugal dictatorship.[59] She served as co-producer of the filmsThe Boatman,Brutal, andScorpio Nights, but was not listed as producer or co-producer of other ECP films.[60]
In a 2002 interview with Philippine cinema academicianJoel David, Marcos confirmed that she had "half-jokingly" named the "Experimental Cinema of the Philippines" as a reference toCentro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, the institution founded during the dictatorship ofBenito Mussolini - a reference to a cinema institution put up under a prior dictatorship which Professor David surmised to also be a tease aimed at Imee's parents.[61]
As the mid-1980s approached, the collapse of the Philippine economy forced government to reduce the budget of the ECP, and to raise funds, it began screening what critics deemed skin flicks, which were called "Bomba" or "Bold" films in the local slang.[62][self-published source] At around this time, Imee Marcos promoted Johnny Litton, who had been deputy director general to chief executive officer of the ECP under her, and Litton's decision to screen extremely explicit films such as Scorpio Nights (Regal Films), Company Of Women (Athena Productions, Inc.) and Hubo (lit. "Naked" FLT Films International) were scored by industry critics. By 1985 ECP was producing "about twenty sexually explicit quickies" which they hoped to screen at the three screening rooms of the National Film Center. The films were assured of a neat profit despite the few screening venues.[62][self-published source]
The Marcoses got much criticism during the last part of Ferdinand Marcos's reign because of their conspicuous spending,[44][63] which was far beyond their legal means, as expressed in the Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos's legally-required Statements of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).[64][65]
Some of the specific things Imee Marcos enjoyed were her own "Marcos Mansions" in Baguio and in the Metro Manila area,[44] and her own purchases of Marcos jewels just like her mother.[44][64]
In one instance recounted by British journalist Caroline Kennedy, Imee Marcos effectively usedPhilippine Airlines flights as a courier for breastmilk when she was traveling in Europe but had left her child in the Philippines. According to Kennedy, Imee had explained that she "expressed her milk every day and then Daddy sent a Philippine Airlines plane to wherever she was and it would bring the milk back."[44][64] Kennedy noted that this coincided with a time when many Europe-based Philippine expats complained of a lot of flight delays and cancellations.[64]
All this was aside from the uber-VIP treatment that the Marcoses regularly received. For example, when Imee Marcos enrolled in the University of the Philippines, the university broke its own policy of not having airconditioned classrooms and made sure the lecture halls Imee had classes in were equipped with AC.[63]
From 1975 to 1986, Marcos produced the television showsKulit Bulilit andKaluskos Musmos.[58] She was also a consultant/writer of theChildren's Television Workshop for Asia and New York (1977–1979).[58] She also collaborated as a producer with cartoonistsJosé Zabala-Santos and his nephewNonoy Marcelo to work for the first-ever Philippine full-length animated film titledTadhana ("Destiny"), which originally conceived as atelevision pilot, premiered on Philippine television during the anniversary ofMartial law in 1978.[66]
Marcos was once a columnist ofManila Bulletin (then known asBulletin Today) in Manila, publisher of the Filipino Film Review, publisher and editor of the Kabataang Barangay Foundation, Makati, Metro Manila, and special consultant to the chairperson of the board ofBBC-2,RPN 9, andIBC 13.[59] She was also the producer ofMetro Magazine (1975–1986).[58]
The torture and killing ofArchimedes Trajano was attributed to Imee Marcos, then the National Chairman of the Kabataang Barangay. "On August 31, 1977, Archimedes Trajano, a 21-year-old student of Mapua Institute of Technology, attended an open forum with Imee Marcos, 21-year-old daughter of the dictator. Her father had appointed her National Chairman of the Kabataang Barangay youth organization. When Trajano questioned her about her appointment, Imee apparently became irritated. Her guards seized Trajano and dragged him away. His body was found hours later: he had been severely tortured and beaten to death."[67]
Nine years after the killing of Archimedes Trajano, his mother, Agapita Trajano, pressed charges against Imee Marcos and her accomplices for "false imprisonment, kidnapping, wrongful death, and a deprivation of rights" of her son. Marcos and her lawyers did not deny that Trajano was tortured—instead, they argued that as agents of the state, the soldiers who killed Trajano were immune from suit in a foreign state.[68] The Honolulu district court awarded $2.5 million in punitive damages, $1.25 million for mental anguish to Agapita Trajano and $246,966 in attorney's fees and costs against Imee Marcos for the murder of Archimedes Trajano, by Marcos's personal bodyguards.[69] Imee Marcos responded by saying, "Yes, Archimedes Trajano was tortured and killed but it's none of your business."[70]
Increasing unrest springing from the economic collapse of the Philippines in the years after the assassination ofSenator Benigno Aquino in 1983 came to a head in February 1986, when the EDSA Revolution succeeded in unseating the Marcoses from Malacañang palace.[71]
Fearful of a scenario in which Marcos's presence in the Philippines would lead to a civil war,[71] the Reagan administration flew Marcos and a party of about 80 individuals[72] - the extended Marcos family and a number of close associates[73] - from the Philippines to Hawaii despite Marcos's objections.[71] Imee and her family were on the flight with her parents.[74]
The exiles stayed atHickam Air Force Base at the expense of the US Government. A month later, they moved into a pair of residences inMakiki Heights,Honolulu, which were registered toAntonio Floirendo and Bienvenido and Gliceria Tantoco.[72]
Marcos would eventually die in exile in 1989.[75]
President Corazon Aquino eventually allowed the Marcoses, including Imee, to return to the Philippines in order to face various charges.[76] News reports from the period record that Marcos supporters organized a crowd from Manila's slums to welcome the Marcoses on their return.[76]
Twelve years after her family's exile, Marcos returned to politics. She ran as Congresswoman of the2nd District ofIlocos Norte and won. She assumed office on June 30, 1998. She was then reelected in 2001 and 2004. Her term ended on June 30, 2007.
In the 2010 elections, she ran as governor of Ilocos Norte against her cousin,Michael Marcos Keon, who was the governor during that time. She defeated her cousin in the elections. Imee had 196,160 votes while Keon had 86,005 votes. She assumed office on June 30, 2010. She was re-elected in 2013, unopposed. She was reelected in the 2016 elections, securing a third consecutive and final term.
During the third Sulong Pilipinas Convention in 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte named Imee as one of his campaign contributors, saying that she borrowed money to fund his campaign. However, Duterte's Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) does not include her as a donor. Imee denied the claim saying that she just helped him get votes from the Ilocos Region.[77][78]
On January 25, 2019, Marcos tweeted thatIlocos Norte's poverty incidence rate lessened under her governorship; however, the very same tweet showed poverty incidence rate actually increased during her rule. Povertyreduction rate was 17% in 2006, while it dropped to 5% in 2015.[79][self-published source] The tweet was afterwards deleted.[80]
Imee Marcos's entrance into politics, beginning with her term as congresswoman of the 2nd District ofIlocos Norte in 1998, saw her taking over the position previously held by her brother,Bongbong Marcos, who became governor of Ilocos Norte that same year.[81] In the context of their motherImelda Marcos's similar return to politics as congresswoman in Leyte in 1995,[81] journalists and academics noted that the Marcoses had cemented a political dynasty after their return from exile,[82][81] despite the explicit anti-dynasty provision in Article II Section 26 of the1987 Constitution of the Philippines.[83]
Saying that this was a common occurrence because of the way Philippine society is structured, Imee Marcos asserted in a November 2012 interview with theSydney Morning Herald[82] that:
"It's pretty feudal in the Philippines still, even though we like to fool ourselves."[82]
Political scientist Ramon Casiple, in an interview with theSouth China Morning Post,[84] noted:
"The Marcos support through the years is based on their maintaining the Marcos loyalists, largesse to Ilocos Norte bailiwick, and cultivating the myth of a golden era during the Marcos regime."[84]
Marcos has been president and executive producer of Renegade Filmmakers since 1996.[58]
In 2007, along with some industry luminaries, Imee Marcos established the Creative Media and Film Society of the Philippines (CREAM). A year after CREAM evolved into CREAM Content Distribution, Inc., a production company that specializes in animation, game and film production. She is currently the president of CREAM.[14]
Imee Marcos was named in the Offshore Leaks –Panama Papers,[85] along with her three sons, Fernando Martin, Matthew Joseph, Ferdinand Richard Michael,[86] her sisterIrene Marcos,[87][88][89][90] her brother-in-law Gregorio Maria Araneta III,[90] and her estranged husband Tommy Manotoc's relatives Ricardo Gabriel Kalaw Manotoc and Teodoro Kalaw Manotoc.[91][92] According to records uncovered by theInternational Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Imee and her three sons are beneficiaries of the Sintra Trust, which was formed in June 2002 in theBritish Virgin Islands. Other documents, the latest dated 2010, also name Imee as a financial adviser for the Sintra Trust as well as ComCentre Corporation, which was formed in January 2002 and is still in operation. She is also identified as a "master client" for the M Trust, which was formed in July 1997 and closed July 2009. However, these three offshore accounts do not appear in Imee'sStatement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN).[93][86] The SALN is required of all public officials and employees, and should include all of the officials' assets and liabilities.[94]
On March 2, 2017, House Majority LeaderRodolfo Fariñas, along with Pampanga representativesAurelio Gonzales Jr. andJuan Pablo Bondoc, filed House Resolution 882, which requested the House Committee on Good Government to "conduct an inquiry" about the misuse of PHP66.45 million from Ilocos Norte's share of excise tax funds to obtain more than 110 units of motor vehicles. The resolution cited that the "highly irregular purchase" violated 2 republic acts—RA No. 7171, "An Act to Promote the Development of the Farmer in the Virginia Tobacco Producing Provinces,"[95] and RA No. 9184, "Government Procurement Reform Act[96] --and 1 presidential decree: PD No. 1445, Government Auditing Code of the Philippines.[97][98] The investigation began on May 2, 2017.[99]
The vehicles were said to be for distribution to the different barangays and municipalities.[98] Marcos justified the purchase as a response to the multiple requests of farmers asking for vehicles,[100] although Fariñas had pointed out that RA 7171 does not include purchasing vehicles as a means to utilize the excise tax. He also pointed out that a barangay captain from Laoag City received vehicles, despite the fact that there are no tobacco farms in that area.[99] Other barangay captains have also complained that the vehicles were not duly registered under the Land Transportation Office (LTO), or filed as government property, so costs for oil and gas could not be reimbursed by the barangay budget.[101]
At a July 24, 2017 hearing, six local officials confessed that they have access to tobacco excise tax funds used to pay 70 mini-trucks.[102] Pedro Agcaoili, Eden Batulayan, Josephine Calajete, Encarnacion Gaor, Genedine Jambaro, and Evangeline Tabulog[103] also acknowledged that their signatures were written on pertinent documents, a fact that they had previously denied.[104] Marcos also admitted that the said mini-trucks were bought from a direct contractor, and was not up for public bidding, as was the protocol when government property is procured.[102]
Upon continued investigation and hearings, the House committee discovered that all the purchased vehicles "were overpriced by PHP21,450,000."[105][106] The direct contractor who sold 40 units of mini cab was identified as Mark Chua, who is also currently Marcos's long-time boyfriend, who overpriced the mini cabs by PHP7,800,000 overall.[105][106] The committee also verified the complaints from barangay captains that the vehicles did not have registrations from the LTO. Committee Report No. 638 therefore concluded and recommended that charges be filed against Marcos, Chua, and several local officials.[105] As of July 2018, another "fact-finding investigation" initiated by theOffice of the Ombudsman is underway. If they find enough cause, the Ombudsman will then open a formal investigation.[107]
In the conviction of her mother Imelda Marcos for seven counts of graft in November 2018,[108] theSandiganbayan anti-graft court found that illegal Swiss foundations were used to earn from investments and interests to benefit Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos and their beneficiaries Imee Marcos, Bongbong Marcos, and Irene Marcos-Araneta.[109]
The Sandiganbayan's 5th Division convicted former Imelda Marcos for creating and maintaining seven private foundations in Switzerland while holding government positions from 1968 to 1986. Imee and her siblings were named as beneficiaries of two of the illegal foundations: the Trinidad Foundation and the Xandy Foundation.[109]
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Marcos filed her certificate of candidacy on October 16, 2018, accidentally arriving at the same time as human rights advocateChel Diokno, who was also filing his candidacy.[110] Because Chel Diokno's crowds supported his human rights advocacy, political chants quickly transitioned into protest chants concerning the Marcos martial law legacy, including the traditional protest chants "Never Again to Martial Law" and "Marcos Hitler Diktador Tuta!" (Marcos: Hitler, Dictator, Lapdog").[111] Imee Marcos did not acknowledge either Chel Diokno or the protest chants of his supporters.[110]
On November 10, 2018, the anti-graft courtSandiganbayan found that she and her siblings benefited from the illegal Swiss foundations that her mother,Imelda Marcos, created and maintained.[112][113] On November 25, 2018, Marcos proposed to expand thePantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) by providing a monthly income to fishermen and farmers.[114] Marcos also proposed a rescue package to support coconut farmers.[115]
Despite the senatorial campaign not yet in effect, Marcos began a premature senatorial campaign in numerous provinces.[citation needed] On January 17, 2019,Cebu City mayorTomas Osmeña ordered the taking down of political tarpaulins of Marcos during theSinulog Festival; the mayor criticized Marcos for 'politicizing' a religious festivity.[116]
In her campaigns, she noted that she was a graduate ofPrinceton University in the United States.[117] However, Princeton deputy university spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss stated that Imee's claim was false and completely fabricated, as she never graduated from Princeton University.[43][36] At the same time, Imee's claim that she was a cum laude from theUniversity of the Philippines Diliman was found to be fabricated. UP Executive Vice President Teodoro Herbosa noted that "there is no record of Imee's graduation from UPD (University of the Philippines Diliman)nor any honors or academic distinctions received with the University Registrar's office."[37] During a February 9, 2019, senatorial debate, Marcos called on the government to remove term limits in elections, sparking criticism.[118] Term limit removal was used by her father, the late former President Ferdinand Marcos, in the 1970s which led to a 21-year brutal regime.[118] On March 6, 2019, amid Imee's fake degrees controversy, President Duterte's daughter,Sara Duterte, backed Marcos, stating, "Honesty should not be an election issue," effectively yielding to Imee's fabricated claims.[119] Marcos has also claimed she graduated fromSanta Catalina School as "class valedictorian" for more than four decades. On March 21, 2019, Santa Catalina School assistant head of school John Aimé disproved Imee's claims, stating: 'Imee Marcos attended our school for a brief period in the fall of 1972, she isnot a graduate.'[38] After Imee's third educational attainment claim was disproved, theAsian Institute of Management (AIM)'s Registrar and Student Enterprise Director, Bryan Magbutay, reiterated, "In our 50 years of providing world class programs wenever offered an MA MBA," effectively disproving Imee's fourth educational attainment claim.[39]
In another campaign meet-up, Marcos stated that she was "too young" to have any power during her father'sdictatorship, and that she should not be blamed for the things she did due to her youth. However, records show that she was already 30 years old when her family was ousted from power in 1986.[120][121]
On January 25, 2019, Marcos tweeted thatIlocos Norte's poverty incidence rate lessened under her governorship; however, the very same tweet showed poverty incidence rate actually increased during her rule. Povertyreduction rate was 17% in 2006, while it dropped to 5% in 2015.[79][self-published source] The tweet was afterwards deleted.[80] In April 2019, Marcos stated that she intends to make working abroad a "matter of choice", however, she dodged questions on her father's dictatorship - which led to the country's economic collapse, forcing Filipinos to work abroad in the first place.[122]
On April 11, 2019, after China again reiterated its claims in theSouth China Sea, Marcos announced that she "trusts China",[123] falsely claiming that China never invadedany Philippine territory.[123][124] She also blamed the Philippines, falsely claiming that Filipinos started the territorial conflicts with China,[123] earning criticism from Filipinos.[125]
After the2019 Philippine Senate election, she placed eighth and won one of the twelve contested seats. On June 30, 2019, Marcos officially took office in the Senate and filed various bills during her first months including her own version of the SOGIE bill or the Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity or Expression Bill that was first filed by fellow SenatorRisa Hontiveros.[126]
In the2025 Philippine Senate elections, Marcos was included in theAlyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate until she left the group twice. She was endorsed by Vice PresidentSara Duterte formally adopted as a guest candidate in theDuterTen slate. After she placed twelfth and won a contested seat, Marcos seeks to protect Vice President Duterte from the impeachment.[127]
On July 22, 2019, Marcos was appointed as chair of thePhilippine Senate Cultural Communities Committee.
On August 6, 2019, Marcos filed a bill that would make men also liable for committingadultery.[128] Following the controversial transfer of₱42 billion by theDepartment of Health to theDepartment of Budget and Management-Procurement Service (DBM-PS) for the purchase ofCOVID-19 pandemicpersonal protective equipment, in September 2021, Marcos filed a bill seeking to abolish the DBM-PS and thePhilippine International Trading Corporation to "address systemic corruption" in the DBM-PS.[129] In September 2021, thePhilippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) Law was signed into law by President Duterte. Senator Imee Marcos voted in favor of the law, which regulated and legalized POGOs, which are gambling corporations. The illegal activities of the POGOs were known since 2016, and were widely exposed to the public even before the law that legalized them was enacted.[130][131]
 | This sectionappears to beslanted towards recent events. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective andadd more content related to non-recent events.(May 2025) |
In the19th Congress, Marcos was named as chair of four Senate committees:Cooperatives;Electoral Reforms and People's Participation;Foreign Relations; andSocial Justice, Welfare and Rural Development.[132] In December 2022, Marcos filed "fruit salad" bills promoting and protecting the Philippine's pineapple,moringa,dragon fruit, and mango industries.[133]
In June 2023, Marcos filed a Senate resolution seeking to investigate a "request" by the United States government for the Philippines to temporarily house Afghan refugees. Marcos maintained the request lacked transparency and said some refugees, who are "supporters of the US and possibly, even former employees of the US government or US companies", pose a threat to public safety and national security.[134][135]
In November 2023, Marcos reaffirmed her support and loyalty to former presidentRodrigo Duterte and Vice PresidentSara Duterte regarding the issue of confidential funds,[136] while stating that the Philippines does not need to cooperate with theInternational Criminal Court (ICC) as it will "cause great shame for the Filipinos" citing the courts are working, free and strong.[137]
In October 2, 2024, Marcos would file her certificate of Candidacy for re-election as senator for the2025 Senate elections,[138] she initially declined to be a part of her Brother's Senatoial slate,Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas back in September 28, 2024,[139] but she would later be reintroduced back in the slate on February 11, 2025 during their Proclamation rally.[140]
In March 2025, Marcos would lead a Senate investigation regarding the circumstances surrounding thearrest of Rodrigo Duterte, which she stated had "deeply divided the nation."[141]
In March 26, 2025, Marcos would withdraw again from Alyansa after the arrest of Rodrigo Duterte, saying that she could "no longer stand on the same platform with the rest of the Alyansa senatorial candidates."[142]
in April 14, 2025, Vice PresidentSara Duterte endorsed Marcos's re-election bid in a 31 second political advertisement which the two were dressed in black, slammed the current state of the Philippines.[143]
In May 10, 2025, Marcos and former fellow Alyansa mate,Camille Villar, were adopted by Oppositional senatorial slate,DuterTen, led byPDP as guest candidates.[144]
Despite lagging in the last pre-election surveys, Marcos would later win the election by placing 12th and managing to gain 13,339,227 votes.[145]
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Marcos formerly belonged to theKilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), the political party of her father.[31] In 2009, she and her family joined the alliance of theNacionalista Party in support of its2010 presidential candidate, then-SenatorManny Villar. Incidentally, her father used to be a member of Nacionalista before he founded KBL in 1978.[146]
As with other Marcos family members who have stayed in the public eye since their return to the Philippines,[147][148][149] Imee Marcos has received significant criticism[150] for instances ofhistorical revisionism, and thedenial or trivializing of the human rights violations and economic plunder that took place during the Marcos administration, and of the role she played in the administration.[149][150]
Prominent examples of statements by Imee Marcos which have received such criticism include her 2016 statement that she was "too young" to have any power during her father's administration (although she was already 30 years old when her father was ousted in February 1986),[120] and her 2018 assertion that critics should just "move on" regarding the crimes and excesses of the martial law era.[121]
On August 21, 2018, the anniversary of the assassination of SenatorBenigno Aquino Jr. who had flown back to the Philippines to face her father, Imee Marcos told Filipinos to "move on" from theabuses, murders and massacres during her father's dictatorship. Imee Marcos stated, "The millennials have moved on, and I think people at my age should also move on as well".[121]
To this, various sectors of the youth protested, releasing statements such as "She has no right to claim what our stand is on the issue. Not in our name, Imee Marcos," "The millennials, the youth in general, have not moved on and we will never move on from the Marcoses' crimes against the Filipino people. Not until justice has been served to the thousands of Filipinos who were killed, abducted and tortured under their reign, we will not move on",[151] "Binubuo pa lang ako ng magulang ko may utang na ako. Paano ako nagmo-move on Imee Marcos?" (I was still being formed by my parents in the womb, already I had debts. How can I move on, Imee Marcos?),[152] "When your family's in jail, when you return what you stole, when Marcos is taken out of Libingan ng mga Bayani, then we move on," and "The gall of Imee Marcos to ask why many have not "moved on" from the turbulent past they caused is like asking someone who got robbed to just think of the stolen item as donation. Isauli niyo mga ninakaw ninyo! (Return what you stole!)"[153]
In a statement before media, Marcos said "...what I've heard is that there are calls for an apology tantamount on admission, which we would never do" and stated that she did not know what her family should admit to in the first place.[154]
Imee Marcos denies that human rights abuses occurred during her family's regime, calling them political accusations.[155] In a press briefing, she said "Kung ang dinedemand ay admission (of guilt) ay palagay ko hindi pwede 'yun" (If what is demanded is an admission of guilt, I don't think that's possible). When asked why, she replied: "Bakit kami mag-aadmit sa hindi namin ginawa?" (Why would we admit to something we did not do?). She added, "As we all know, these are political accusations that have not been proven in court".[155] This is despite having been convicted before a U.S. district court through the 1993Trajano v. Marcos case (978 F 2d 493).[156][157][67]
| Year | Office | Party | Votes received | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | Swing | |||||
| 1984 | Mambabatas Pambansa (Assemblyman) fromIlocos Norte | KBL | 199,837 | N/a | 1st | N/a | Won | |
| 1998 | Representative (Ilocos Norte–2nd) | N/a | N/a | 1st | N/a | Won | ||
| 2001 | N/a | N/a | 1st | N/a | Won | |||
| 2004 | N/a | N/a | 1st | N/a | Won | |||
| 2010 | Governor of Ilocos Norte | Nacionalista | 196,160 | 69.34% | 1st | N/a | Won | |
| 2013 | 244,092 | 100.00% | 1st | N/a | Unopposed | |||
| 2016 | 279,144 | 100.00% | 1st | N/a | Unopposed | |||
| 2019 | Senator of the Philippines | 15,882,628 | 33.58% | 8th | N/a | Won | ||
| 2025 | 13,339,227 | 23.26% | 12th | N/a | Won | |||
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Da Real Makoy | Herself; producer (uncredited) |
| 1978 | Tadhana | Producer |
| 2005 | Fly Aswang | Story writer and producer |
| 2010 | Donor | Executive producer |
| 2011 | Pintakasi | |
| 2022 | Maid in Malacañang | |
| 2023 | Martyr or Murderer | Story writer and executive producer |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | GMA Telesine Specials: Tinimbang na Dangal | Patricia |
| 1997–2001 | 1 for 3 | Dra. Kay |
| 1998 | GMA Telesine Specials: Kapag Kumatok ang Pag-Ibig | Tina |
| 2003 | Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw Pa Rin | Donato Verde's lawyer |
| 2024–present | At the Moment with Imee[158] | Host |
Marcos is the eldest daughter of Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Romuáldez Marcos. Her full siblings areBongbong Marcos,Irene Marcos, andAimee Marcos. She also has a number of half-siblings who are not as known by the public at large.[159][44] This includes three siblings which her father had withCarmen Ortega of the Ortega clan of La Union, who was hiscommon-law wife before he married Imelda Romuáldez as a political strategy.[160][159]
Marcos was married to golfer and former professional basketball coachTommy Manotoc. Their marriage was controversial since the Philippines did not have adivorce law and Manotoc's October 1981 divorce obtained in theDominican Republic from wifeAurora Pijuan was not recognized under Philippine law.[161] Marcos and Manotoc have three sons: Fernando Martín ("Borgy"), acommercial model andclub DJ;Ferdinand Richard Michael ("Mike"), a lawyer; andMatthew Joseph ("MJ"), asports agent and incumbent governor ofIlocos Norte since June 30, 2019.[162][58] She had two stepchildren during her marriage to Manotoc, includingABS-CBN reporter and news anchor TJ Manotoc.[163]
On October 19, 2000, a 27-year-old film producer fromLeyte, Leyte named Cesar Bendigo who was allegedly in a romantic relationship with Marcos was killed in an ambush byNew People's Army rebels; Marcos last visited his residence on August 24, 2000.[164]
Since herlegal separation from Manotoc, Marcos has been in a long-term relationship with Singaporean and ethnicChinese businessman and residentMark Chua, since the 1990s.[165] Marcos and Chua have been linked to the₱64.5 millionIlocos Norte Tobacco Excise Tax Funds Scandal.[166][167]
Ipinakikita ng mga dokumento, gayunpaman, na ang pinamunuan ni Imee ay ang KB Foundation, na unang binanggit sa PD 1191 na nilagdaan ni Marcos Sr. noong Set. 1, 1977.
The twoNonoy Marcelo and Egay Navarro] managed to push the limits, casually capturing their producer Imee [Marcos] smoothing the way with coy Barbie-doll eyes.
...I think magandang maisapelikula itong kuwento noong last three days na na-experience niyo in Malacañang.
For the first time, the senator [Imee] admitted her rift with her cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, which she said stemmed from her decision to side with the Dutertes in the tiff with the House of Representatives.
Senator Imee Marcos skipped the 'Bagong Pilipinas' rally led by her brother in favor of the charter change rally in Davao City.
The three senators [Bato dela Rosa, Bong Go, Imee Marcos] flashed the trademark Duterte fist during the opening of the 3rd regular session of the 19th Congress on Monday.
Congressman and Mrs. Ferdinand E. Marcos announce the arrival of their first child, a baby girl weighing seven pounds and eleven ounces, Saturday morning, November 12, at the Lourdes Hospital.
The two busts at the gallery entrance are gifts from the Friends of the National Museum (organized in 1982 by Laya and some art lovers, with Imee Marcos-Manotoc as chairperson)[...]
Imee Marcos Manotoc's appointment as head of BBC-Channel 2 isofficial.
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