Imee Marcos

Early life Imee Marcos was born Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios Romualdez Marcos on the morning of November 12, 1955 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Mandaluyong (then a municipality in Rizal) to Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos. She has three other siblings: Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the current president; Irene Marcos-Araneta; and Aimee Marcos, who was adopted.

She turned ten years old the day afterwards her father was elected in 1965. In an interview with her family-backed Filipinas 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".

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 enduring conjugal dictatorship that spanned over two decades.

Primary and secondary education Marcos attended the Institucion Teresiana (now Saint Pedro Poveda College) in Quezon City from Kindergarten through Grade 4 where she earned first honors.

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.

She withdrew from Princeton in 1976, returned in 1977, and then withdrew for the last time in 1979. She did not receive any degree from Princeton University.

In the book Some Are Smarter Than Others, author Ricardo Manapat reveals that after the EDSA revolution, investigators from the Presidential Commission on Good Government found out that Marcos's tuition, 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.

Falsified claims of graduation from Princeton University 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.

On her campaign website, Marcos uploaded an official biography that claimed that she was "one of the first female graduates from an Ivy League School—Princeton University, graduating with honors," but this claim was quickly disproved by news reports and on social media.

The ABS-CBN News network noted that the video went viral as Marcos opted not to answer the question. This was seconded by InterAksyon, pointing out that Marcos "avoided answering the question and instead diverted the topic to the scholastic records of her brother Bongbong Marcos."

In January 2019, the deputy spokesperson of Princeton university, Michael Hotchkiss, stated that their university records "do not show that Ms Marcos was awarded a degree."

According to University of the Philippines Cebu, Professor Madrileña de la Cerna, Marcos did not take 35 units worth of courses at the College of Law by the time she was supposed to graduate. Despite the missing units, the college faced political pressure to allow her to graduate, but the faculty, led by Ms. Haydee Yorac, refused to approve her graduation.

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. The yearbook's authenticity was later proven to be false, as Marcos did not appear in any authenticated UP yearbook from 1983.

According to former UP Law dean Froilan Bacungan in the book The Turning Point: Twenty-six accounts of February events in the Philippines:

Political scientist Ramon Casiple, in an interview with the South China Morning Post, 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."

Unexplained wealth Imee Marcos was named in the Offshore Leaks – Panama Papers, along with her three sons, Fernando Martin, Matthew Joseph, Ferdinand Richard Michael, her sister Irene Marcos, her brother-in-law Gregorio Maria Araneta III, According to records uncovered by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Imee and her three sons are beneficiaries of the Sintra Trust, which was formed in June 2002 in the British 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's Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN).

Misuse of tobacco funds

On March 2, 2017, House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, along with Pampanga representatives Aurelio Gonzales Jr. and Juan 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," and RA No. 9184, "Government Procurement Reform Act --and 1 presidential decree: PD No. 1445, Government Auditing Code of the Philippines. The investigation began on May 2, 2017.

The vehicles were said to be for distribution to the different barangays and municipalities. 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.

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. Pedro Agcaoili, Eden Batulayan, Josephine Calajete, Encarnacion Gaor, Genedine Jambaro, and Evangeline Tabulog also acknowledged that their signatures were written on pertinent documents, a fact that they had previously denied. 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. 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.

As beneficiaries of illegal Swiss foundations In the conviction of her mother Imelda Marcos for seven counts of graft in November 2018, the Sandiganbayan 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.

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. 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"). Imee Marcos did not acknowledge either Chel Diokno or the protest chants of his supporters. On November 25, 2018, Marcos proposed to expand the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) by providing a monthly income to fishermen and farmers. Marcos also proposed a rescue package to support coconut farmers.

Despite the senatorial campaign not yet in effect, Marcos began a premature senatorial campaign in numerous provinces. On January 17, 2019, Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña ordered the taking down of political tarpaulins of Marcos during the Sinulog Festival; the mayor criticized Marcos for 'politicizing' a religious festivity.

In her campaigns, she noted that she was a graduate of Princeton University in the United States. However, Princeton deputy university spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss stated that Imee's claim was false and completely fabricated, as she never graduated from Princeton University. 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. Marcos has also claimed she graduated from Santa 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 is not a graduate.'

On April 11, 2019, after China again reiterated its claims in the South China Sea, Marcos announced that she "trusts China", falsely claiming that China never invaded any Philippine territory. She also blamed the Philippines, falsely claiming that Filipinos started the territorial conflicts with China,

Marcos (3rd from right) flashes President Duterte's signature fist during the proclamation of senators at the Philippine International Convention Center Forum in 2019. After the 2019 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 Senator Risa Hontiveros.

In the 2025 Philippine Senate elections, Marcos was included in the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate until she left the group twice. She was endorsed by Vice President Sara Duterte formally adopted as a guest candidate in the DuterTen slate. After she placed twelfth and won a contested seat, Marcos seeks to protect Vice President Duterte from the impeachment.

18th Congress (2019–2022) On July 22, 2019, Marcos was appointed as chair of the Philippine Senate Cultural Communities Committee.

On August 6, 2019, Marcos filed a bill that would make men also liable for committing adultery. Following the controversial transfer of 42 billion by the Department of Health to the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service (DBM-PS) for the purchase of COVID-19 pandemic personal protective equipment, in September 2021, Marcos filed a bill seeking to abolish the DBM-PS and the Philippine International Trading Corporation to "address systemic corruption" in the DBM-PS. In September 2021, the Philippine 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.

19th Congress (2022–2025)

In the 19th Congress, Marcos was named as chair of four Senate committees: Cooperatives; Electoral Reforms and People's Participation; Foreign Relations; and Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development. In December 2022, Marcos filed "fruit salad" bills promoting and protecting the Philippine's pineapple, moringa, dragon fruit, and mango industries.

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.

In November 2023, Marcos reaffirmed her support and loyalty to former president Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte regarding the issue of confidential funds, while stating that the Philippines does not need to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) as it will "cause great shame for the Filipinos" citing the courts are working, free and strong.

On October 2, 2024, Marcos would file her certificate of Candidacy for re-election as senator for the 2025 Senate elections, she initially declined to be a part of her Brother's Senatoial slate, Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas back on September 28, 2024, but she would later be reintroduced back in the slate on February 11, 2025, during their Proclamation rally.

In March 2025, Marcos would lead a Senate investigation regarding the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Rodrigo Duterte, which she stated had "deeply divided the nation."

On 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."

on April 14, 2025, Vice President Sara 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.

On May 10, 2025, Marcos and former fellow Alyansa mate, Camille Villar, were adopted by Oppositional senatorial slate, DuterTen, led by PDP as guest candidates.

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.

20th Congress (2025–present) In 2026, Marcos made claims on the senate floor that the 2028 Presidential elections in the Philippines would be cancelled. However that was disproven when President BongBong Marcos stated that he could not violate the 1987 Philippine constitution related to elections and would step down.

Party affiliation Marcos formerly belonged to the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), the political party of her father.

Martial law denialism

As with other Marcos family members who have stayed in the public eye since their return to the Philippines,

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), and her 2018 assertion that critics should just "move on" regarding the crimes and excesses of the martial law era.

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", "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?), "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!)"

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.

Family denial Imee Marcos denies that human rights abuses occurred during her family's regime, calling them political accusations. 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".

Personal life Marcos is the eldest daughter of Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Romuáldez Marcos. Her full siblings are Bongbong Marcos, Irene Marcos, and Aimee Marcos. She also has a number of half-siblings who are not as known by the public at large. Marcos and Manotoc have three sons: Fernando Martín ("Borgy"), a commercial model and club DJ; Ferdinand Richard Michael ("Mike"), a lawyer; and Matthew Joseph ("MJ"), a sports agent and incumbent governor of Ilocos Norte since June 30, 2019.

On October 19, 2000, a 27-year-old film producer from Leyte, Leyte named Cesar Bendigo who was allegedly in a romantic relationship with Marcos was killed in an ambush by New People's Army rebels; Marcos last visited his residence on August 24, 2000.

Since her legal separation from Manotoc, Marcos has been in a long-term relationship with Singaporean and ethnic Chinese businessman and resident Mark Chua, since the 1990s. Marcos and Chua have been linked to the Ilocos Norte Tobacco Excise Tax Funds Scandal.