Senator Imee Marcos, sister of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., announced on Wednesday that she is officially withdrawing from her brother’s senatorial ticket under the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas.
In her statement, Imee cited the administration’s actions during the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte as the reason for her departure, emphasizing that these actions went against her principles.
“Clearly, there were actions taken by the administration that ran counter to my ideals and principles. Thus, I cannot stand on the same campaign platform as the rest of the Alyansa. As I have stated from the outset of the election period, I will continue to maintain my independence,” Imee said.
The senator underscored that national sovereignty and justice for all Filipinos should remain a top priority. “Over and above political advantage, the sovereignty of the country and the interest of true justice for every Filipino must remain paramount,” she added.
Imee also referenced her concerns during the Senate foreign relations committee hearing, which she chaired, regarding Duterte’s arrest. She criticized government witnesses for invoking executive privilege and the sub judice rule, which she claimed hindered the discovery of crucial facts.
“By repeatedly invoking executive privilege and the sub judice rule during the Senate’s hearing last week, the government witnesses appeared to be hiding essential facts,” she said. “Beyond their constant narrative that the Philippines was simply complying with its international commitments, a deliberate effort to obscure the truth only gave rise to ever greater suspicion that the Constitution may have been disregarded and our sovereignty diminished by the arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” Imee added.
Navotas City Representative Toby Tiangco, campaign manager for Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, expressed respect for Imee’s decision. “We respect Senator Imee’s decision. We wish her luck in the campaign,” he said.
In recent campaign sorties in Cavite and Laguna, President Marcos notably did not mention Imee in his endorsement speeches. During the Laguna event, he only asked the crowd to support 11 of the 12 senatorial candidates under the Alyansa, excluding Imee.
Tiangco had previously denied any discussions about dropping Imee from the slate, despite her strong and independent remarks.