Latest news with #Imee
GMA Network
23-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Imee Marcos: Some senators asked me to vie for Senate presidency
Reelected Senator Imee Marcos said Friday some of her colleagues in the upcoming 20th Congress have asked her to vie for the Senate presidency. Marcos disclosed this in a statement, but she did not give details about her response to the "proposal." "Some senators have approached me with the proposal to be their candidate for Senate President," she said. "Whoever will be elected by our peers, whether it is me or not, there are certain congressional reforms that need to be undertaken," she added. Marcos emphasized in her statement the need to reform the budgetary process, particularly the traditions during the bicameral conference committee on the annual national spending plan bill. "The most important is reform in the budgetary process. Tigilan na ang mahiwagang bicam (Stop the 'magical' bicam sessions). The right priorities in spending, considering our recurring fiscal deficits and huge indebtedness, must be legislated: food security and support to our farmers and fishermen; education; health and truly necessary social services," she said. She likewise objected to the statement of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) that her brother, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., will sit in the budgetary process as an observer. "Parenthetically, once the OP (Office of the President) has submitted the NEP (National Expenditure Program) to Congress, the power of the purse must be respected. The DBM statement that the president will involve himself in the budgetary process after the NEP is submitted is infirm and unconstitutional," she said. GMA News Online has reached out to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin regarding Senator Marcos' statement, but he has yet to respond as of posting time. In the same statement, Imee raised the need for electoral reforms, including political party reforms which she said have become "mere tools for personal ambition rather than the public interest." "Above all, the Senate as the guardian of national interest must always be upheld; its independence non-negotiable," she said. Apart from Imee, other senators of the 20th Congress who are reportedly vying for the chamber's top post were current Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero and Senator-elect Vicente "Tito" Sotto III. Reelected Senator Bong Go earlier confirmed that Sotto and Escudero have discussed with him separately the Senate presidency in the 20th Congress. Last week, reelected Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said at least 13 senators of the 20th Congress have expressed preference for a Senate president who is "independent, transparent, and competent." — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
17-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Imee mentions Sara, FPRRD, but not Bongbong in proclamation speech
Reelected Senator Imee Marcos did not mention her younger brother President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in her speech during the proclamation of the winners of the 2025 senatorial elections. Imee, who landed on the 12th place in the Senate race, expressed her gratitude to her 96-year-old mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, and her children, who were physically present during the event. Apart from her family, Imee acknowledged former President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte. "Kay Presidente Duterte, ang ating dating Pangulo na Oktubre pa lamang itinaas na ang aking kamay, at sa kanyang anak na hanggang sa huling sandali si VP Inday Sara ay ako'y kinakampanya," Imee said. (To President Duterte, our former president who raised my hand as early as October last year, and his daughter VP Inday Sara, who up to the final moments continued to campaign for me.) "Ang tagumpay na ito, kahit gaano kailap at kahirap ay isang katibayan na kapag ikaw ay nanindigan para sa tama, mananalo ka," she added. (This victory, although seemingly elusive and difficult to achieve, is proof that if you stand up for the right things, you will win.) In an interview after her proclamation, Imee was asked why she did not mention her younger brother in her speech. "Ay nalimutan ko na. Wala akong kodigo eh (I forgot already. I didn't have notes with me)," Imee responded. To recall, President Marcos dropped Imee from the senatorial slate of the administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas. This was in the middle of the Eleksyon 2025 campaign, after the senator launched an investigation into the arrest of former President Duterte. Imee was later endorsed by Vice President Sara Duterte. Senate President Imee? Meanwhile, Imee denied a report that she is vying for the Senate presidency. "Wala akong naiisip. Gusto ko lang maproklama (I'm not thinking about that. I just want to be proclaimed)," she said. With regard to the impeachment trial of the Vice President, Imee said her eventual decision will depend on the pieces of evidence that will be presented. "As senator, I will sit as a judge and will rely on the evidence presented," Imee said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.
South China Morning Post
17-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
As Sara Duterte backs Imee Marcos, will it sway Philippine Senate elections?
Philippine Senator Imee Marcos has broken publicly with her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr , in a striking political ad released ahead of next month's Senate election. The move, analysts say, is aimed at reviving her flagging re-election campaign by tapping the enduring popularity of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his family. Advertisement The 31-second ad, aired on Monday, features Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio – daughter of the former president and one of the president's chief political rivals – endorsing Imee's re-election bid for the first time. In the ad titled ITIM – the Filipino word for black and an acronym for 'Inday Trusts Imee Marcos' – both women are dressed in black, which Duterte-Carpio says is now 'the colour of the nation while mourning over hunger and criminality'. Duterte-Carpio is popularly known as 'Inday', a Visayan term of endearment often used in central and southern Philippines , where her family has deep roots. 'Starving for food and for justice. Oppressing non-allies,' Imee adds, in a clear rebuke of her brother's administration – particularly its treatment of Duterte, who was extradited to The Hague last month to face charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte arrives to address the people gathering outside the International Criminal Court in The Hague on March 14. Photo: AFP
Filipino Times
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
Imee Marcos announces departure from Bongbong Marcos' senate slate
Senator Imee Marcos, the sister of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr., revealed on Wednesday that she is officially stepping away from her brother's senatorial ticket in the upcoming elections. In her statement, Imee expressed that the administration's actions, particularly concerning the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, conflicted with her own ideals and principles. She clarified that she could no longer be part of the same campaign platform as the rest of the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas party. 'I cannot stand on the same campaign platform as the rest of the Alyansa. I will continue to maintain my independence,' Imee said. 'The sovereignty of the country and the interest of true justice for every Filipino must remain paramount,' she emphasized. Imee also criticized government officials' conduct during the Senate investigation into Duterte's arrest, which she led. She noted that by invoking executive privilege and the sub judice rule, government witnesses appeared to be concealing important facts, raising suspicions about potential violations of the Constitution and undermining the country's sovereignty. The Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas campaign manager, Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco, expressed respect for Imee's decision, offering her best wishes for her campaign. Notably, during campaign events in Cavite and Laguna, President Marcos refrained from mentioning his sister and asked supporters to back the 11 senatorial candidates instead of the usual 12. Earlier, Tiangco had denied any discussions regarding Imee's possible removal from the slate.
