Senator Imee Marcos expressed gratitude to her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., for having her placed on the administration’s senatorial slate for the 2025 elections, but stated she “chose to stand alone” so her brother “will no longer be put in a difficult position.”
In a statement released on Saturday, Imee praised the president for considering her in the partnership and defending her “despite the anger and extreme cruelty of some.”
“Many thanks also to NP [Nacionalista Party] and to all my allies who continue to support me, may your trust remain with me,” according to her.
However, the Senator stated that she “chooses to remain free and loyal—not to any group, but to every Filipino.”
She also recalled their father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., whose death anniversary falls on September 28.
“Today marks 35 years since my father’s death, yet his teachings live on in my heart. As his eldest child, I chose to stand free and firm, much like him, thinking there should be no allegiance other than to the Filipino people,” she stated.
The senator wasn’t clear whether she was formally resigning from the administration’s senatorial slate.
“It is never easy to be alone in campaigns or politics. But that is the legacy my father left me, and that is the legacy of Apo Lakay, whom we mourn today,” she explained.
“I chose to stand alone so that my adding will no longer be put in a difficult position, and my true friends won’t have to hesitate,” she added, alluding to the President.
Last September 26, President Marcos declared his endorsement of 12 senate candidates for the 2025 elections.