Imee Marcos
Encyclopedia
Maria Imelda Josefa Romualdez Marcos (born November 12, 1955), most widely known as Imee Marcos, is a Filipino
politician
who has been Governor of Ilocos Norte
since 2010. She served three terms as Representative of the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte in the Philippine House of Representatives
from 1998 to 2007. She formerly belonged to the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan
or KBL political party, the same party that supported her father, President Ferdinand Marcos
. Subsequently she joined the alliance of the Nacionalista Party
of Manny Villar
in support of her mother and her brother. She is the sister of Ilocos Norte Senator
Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
, who replaced her as the Representative for the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte.
, former president
of the Philippines
(1965–1986), and former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos
, both parents ruling the Philippines together for twenty years. She was born on November 12, 1955 in Mandaluyong
, Metro Manila
. Her other siblings are Ferdinand "Bong-Bong" Marcos, Jr.
, currently a Senator of the Republic of the Philippines, Irene Marcos-Araneta
(a socialite
), and an adopted daughter Aimee Marcos (entrepreneur and musician).
Marcos, who turned 10 the day after her father was elected president in 1965, grew up as a young child at Malacañang Palace
, the official residence of the president of Republic of the Philippines. In an interview with Filipinas Magazine in 1999, she admitted that she was not comfortable living at 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 living at the Palace, Marcos attended regular schools in Manila, then was tutored at the Palace because they found it difficult to go out because of protest rallies outside Malacañang. This she found the most boring thing that happened, to learn without classmates.
Imee, her brother Ferdinand Jr. (Bongbong) and sister, Irene
had been studying in England before Marcos signed Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972. They stayed there for a few years until they finished their studies. But they came home for Christmas and summer holidays. Imee was just about to turn 17 years old at that time. Bongbong was sent ahead of Imee and Irene to England to continue their studies.
In England, they had to live by themselves. "We were much concerned about adopting to a new and very cold environment. I was clueless. I wasn't aware of what was going on because we were struggling to cope in England without our parents, so it wasn't very real to us that things actually changed in the Philippines in an important way," she candidly recalls.
In London, she attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts Acting and Playwriting, (with Distinction). She took up Acting at the Royal Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in London, UK (with Distinction). She also went to the Convent of the Holy Child Jesus, Mayfield, Sussex, England British Kingdom (GCSE Examinations –(7) UK Firsts,(3) Seconds). Marcos completed her secondary education at Santa Catalina School
in Monterey, California
where she graduated valedictorian of her class.
She earned her B.A.
in Religion and Politics from Princeton University
in New Jersey, USA, with distinctions.
Imee became the most visible among the three Marcos children when she returned to the Philippines. She was chairperson of the Kabataang Barangay or youth organization. Back in Manila, Marcos earned her Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines
College of Law in Diliman, Quezon City were she study as a scholar all through out her school days, she also graduated as cum laude. Then, she earned her M.A.
in Management and Business Administration from the Asian Institute of Management
in Makati City
. She did graduate studies in anthropology, sociology, literature, arts, history and theater at Princeton University
in New Jersey and the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Marcos also studied French and Dialectical Arabic at the Royal University of Rabat in Morocco
, as such she speaks ostensibly with French, Spanish, Latin, Arabic, Portuguese, aside from her knowledge about Ilocano, Waray, English, Tagalog and basic Mandarin and Japanese. She also studied Writing: screenplay; children's literature; painting and art; and interior design at the National University of Singapore College of Extramural Studies.
Hon. Marcos was counsel at the Center for Legal Aid at the U.P. College of Law. She was also a consultant for corporate taxation of the Independent Realty Corp., Anchor Corp., Prime Holdings, MidPasig Realty Corp. She was columnist of The Manila Bulletin in Manila, publisher of the Filpino Film Review, publisher and editor of the Kabataang Barangay Foundation, Makati, Metro Manila, and Special consultant to the chairman of the board of ABS-CBN, RPN 9 and IBC 13. From 1979-1986, she was consultant to the minister of the National Media Production Center in Quezon City. Then, from 1981 to 1986, she was director general of the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines.
Prior to politics, Imee was producer for eleven years (1975–1986) of two famous Filipino children shows namely: Kulit Bulilit and Kaluskos Musmos - where Batibot
originated. For five years (1981–1986), Imee was director-general of experimental cinema of the Philippines and produced: Oro, Plata, Mata
; Himala
; Misteryo sa Tuwa and Soltero. She co-produced with Marilou Diaz-Abaya the movie Brutal with Peque Gallaga, Scorpio Nights; and with Tikoy Aguiluz in The Boatman.
Imee also produced and wrote animation featuring Nonoy Marcelo's "Da Real Makoy and Lam-Ang", among others.
Imee also held the following positions:
Marcos has dabbled in drama, appearing in the Cultural Center of the Philippines
' production of The Diary of Anne Frank.
; and Matthew Joseph, a student at Claremont McKenna College. Marcos and Manotoc are now separated.
In his book "Martial Law Diary: Part 1", Ex-Navy Captain Danilo Vizmanos, wrote a scathing remark on the controversial martial law era under Marcos. Citing the heroism of Liliosa Hilao, who was raped, tortured and murdered by the military under Marcos, he wrote: "For the single crime that Marcos and his gangsters have committed on the brave but defenseless Liliosa, a million kilometers of paved roads and all the gimmicks they have come up with cannot erase from the (memory of) Filipino people such an abominable crime that will forever serve as the dark legacy of the New Society."
1n 2005, Imee Marcos took offense at the Arroyo government's subtle reference to the country spending one-third of its annual budget to service debts largely incurred during Ms. Marcos' late dictator-father regime. She claimed that in no way could the accumulated debt be the fault of her dead father. Commentator Jojo Robles of the Manila Standard Today cited the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
—the nation's single biggest debt and incurred during Marcos administration—which took 10 years to build at a cost of US$2.3billion, and which to this day has not produced a single watt of electricity. Mr. Robles said: "In this time of ever-escalating debt and oil prices, someone should tell Imee Marcos to get a grip on reality before absolving her father and his men...we're still paying the costs of Marcos the Elder's kleptocracy, whether in the form of higher power costs because of an unused power plant or unending payments incurred by a thieving regime."
There were several accusations of atrocities directed to Imee Marcos' security guards during martial law. In a university open forum conducted by Ms. Marcos on August 1977, Archimedes Trajano was forcibly taken by Imee Marcos' personal guards after he posted a question which embarrassed Ms. Marcos. Archimedes Trajano's body was found several days later, tortured and beaten to death. Trajano's family was among those awarded by the U.S. Federal Court in Hawaii, for damages for human rights violation covering torture, disappearances, and murder attributed to the military or the Marcos family during the Marcos dictatorship. The Trajano family meanwhile (as of 25 September 2006) has yet to see a penny of this compensation.
Imee Marcos is widely criticized for taking the lead in street protests in defense of human rights abuses which they say is out character for a daughter of a former dictator whose regime was well-known for its brutal violations of human rights.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who has been Governor of Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south...
since 2010. She served three terms as Representative of the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte in the Philippine House of Representatives
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
from 1998 to 2007. She formerly belonged to the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan
Kilusang Bagong Lipunan
The Kilusang Bagong Lipunan , formerly the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan ng Nagkakaisang Nacionalista, Liberal, at iba pa, , is a political party in the Philippines...
or KBL political party, the same party that supported her father, President Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
. Subsequently she joined the alliance of the Nacionalista Party
Nacionalista Party
The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...
of Manny Villar
Manny Villar
Manuel "Manny" Bamba Villar, Jr. is a Filipino businessman and politician. He is currently a Philippine Senator, president of the Nacionalista Party...
in support of her mother and her brother. She is the sister of Ilocos Norte Senator
Senate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...
Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr. , also known as Bongbong Marcos is a Filipino politician and a senator to the 15th Congress. He is the only son of Ferdinand E. Marcos, the former president of the Philippines , and former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos...
, who replaced her as the Representative for the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte.
Early life and career
Marcos is the eldest daughter of Ferdinand Edralin MarcosFerdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
, former president
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
(1965–1986), and former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos
Imelda Marcos
Imelda R. Marcos is a Filipino politician and widow of 10th Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Upon the ascension of her husband to political power, she held various positions to the government until 1986...
, both parents ruling the Philippines together for twenty years. She was born on November 12, 1955 in Mandaluyong
Mandaluyong City
The City of Mandaluyong is one of the cities and municipalities that comprise Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the west by the country's capital, Manila, to the north by San Juan City, to the east by Quezon City and Pasig City, and by Makati City to the south...
, Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
. Her other siblings are Ferdinand "Bong-Bong" Marcos, Jr.
Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr. , also known as Bongbong Marcos is a Filipino politician and a senator to the 15th Congress. He is the only son of Ferdinand E. Marcos, the former president of the Philippines , and former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos...
, currently a Senator of the Republic of the Philippines, Irene Marcos-Araneta
Irene Marcos-Araneta
Irene Marcos-Araneta is the daughter of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.She and her mother and brother have moved for the reversal of the Sandiganbayan's decision to forfeit in favor of the government all assets, investments, securities, properties, shares, interests, and funds of Arelma Inc. being...
(a socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
), and an adopted daughter Aimee Marcos (entrepreneur and musician).
Marcos, who turned 10 the day after her father was elected president in 1965, grew up as a young child at Malacañang Palace
Malacañang Palace
The Malacañan Palace, commonly known simply as Malacañang, is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines. Located at 1000 J. P. Laurel Street, San Miguel, Manila, the house was built in 1750 in Spanish Colonial style. It has been the residence of every...
, the official residence of the president of Republic of the Philippines. In an interview with Filipinas Magazine in 1999, she admitted that she was not comfortable living at 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 living at the Palace, Marcos attended regular schools in Manila, then was tutored at the Palace because they found it difficult to go out because of protest rallies outside Malacañang. This she found the most boring thing that happened, to learn without classmates.
Education
Marcos went to the Institucion Teresiana (Poveda Learning Center) from Kindergarten to Grade IV where she earned First Honors. She attended Assumption Convent at Herran St. in Manila for Grade V to First Year High School where she also earned First Honors. Then, she went to the American School in Makati.Imee, her brother Ferdinand Jr. (Bongbong) and sister, Irene
Irene Marcos-Araneta
Irene Marcos-Araneta is the daughter of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.She and her mother and brother have moved for the reversal of the Sandiganbayan's decision to forfeit in favor of the government all assets, investments, securities, properties, shares, interests, and funds of Arelma Inc. being...
had been studying in England before Marcos signed Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972. They stayed there for a few years until they finished their studies. But they came home for Christmas and summer holidays. Imee was just about to turn 17 years old at that time. Bongbong was sent ahead of Imee and Irene to England to continue their studies.
In England, they had to live by themselves. "We were much concerned about adopting to a new and very cold environment. I was clueless. I wasn't aware of what was going on because we were struggling to cope in England without our parents, so it wasn't very real to us that things actually changed in the Philippines in an important way," she candidly recalls.
In London, she attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts Acting and Playwriting, (with Distinction). She took up Acting at the Royal Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in London, UK (with Distinction). She also went to the Convent of the Holy Child Jesus, Mayfield, Sussex, England British Kingdom (GCSE Examinations –(7) UK Firsts,(3) Seconds). Marcos completed her secondary education at Santa Catalina School
Santa Catalina School for Girls
Santa Catalina School is a private school in California founded by Sister Margaret Thompson and the Dominican Order in 1950. Situated on 36-acre hacienda-style campus, the Upper School is an all-girls boarding school which also accepts local students. The Lower School serves both boys and girls...
in Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
where she graduated valedictorian of her class.
She earned her B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Religion and Politics from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in New Jersey, USA, with distinctions.
Imee became the most visible among the three Marcos children when she returned to the Philippines. She was chairperson of the Kabataang Barangay or youth organization. Back in Manila, Marcos earned her Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
College of Law in Diliman, Quezon City were she study as a scholar all through out her school days, she also graduated as cum laude. Then, she earned her M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Management and Business Administration from the Asian Institute of Management
Asian Institute of Management
The Asian Institute of Management, or simply AIM, is a graduate school of business and a center of business and management research. It is one of the few business schools in Asia to be internationally accredited with the AACSB. It was established in partnership with Harvard Business School and uses...
in Makati City
Makati City
The City of Makati is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and one of the major financial, commercial and economic hubs in Asia...
. She did graduate studies in anthropology, sociology, literature, arts, history and theater at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in New Jersey and the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Marcos also studied French and Dialectical Arabic at the Royal University of Rabat in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, as such she speaks ostensibly with French, Spanish, Latin, Arabic, Portuguese, aside from her knowledge about Ilocano, Waray, English, Tagalog and basic Mandarin and Japanese. She also studied Writing: screenplay; children's literature; painting and art; and interior design at the National University of Singapore College of Extramural Studies.
Hon. Marcos was counsel at the Center for Legal Aid at the U.P. College of Law. She was also a consultant for corporate taxation of the Independent Realty Corp., Anchor Corp., Prime Holdings, MidPasig Realty Corp. She was columnist of The Manila Bulletin in Manila, publisher of the Filpino Film Review, publisher and editor of the Kabataang Barangay Foundation, Makati, Metro Manila, and Special consultant to the chairman of the board of ABS-CBN, RPN 9 and IBC 13. From 1979-1986, she was consultant to the minister of the National Media Production Center in Quezon City. Then, from 1981 to 1986, she was director general of the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines.
Prior to politics, Imee was producer for eleven years (1975–1986) of two famous Filipino children shows namely: Kulit Bulilit and Kaluskos Musmos - where Batibot
Batibot
Batibot is a children's television program from the Philippines, based on Sesame Street. Premiering in 1984, with the name Sesame!, and eventually renamed Batibot several years later. Batibot in Filipino means "small, but strong and robust"...
originated. For five years (1981–1986), Imee was director-general of experimental cinema of the Philippines and produced: Oro, Plata, Mata
Oro, Plata, Mata
Oro, Plata, Mata is a 1982 multi-awarded Filipino film directed by Peque Gallaga, and is considered his most significant contribution to Philippine cinema. Set in the Philippine province of Negros during World War II, it tells the story of how two haciendero families cope with the changes brought...
; Himala
Himala
Himalâ is a Filipino film directed by the late National Artist Ishmael Bernal of the Philippines in 1982. The film's script was written by multi-award winner screenwriter Ricky Lee based on a true incident on a teenage girl in Cabra Island in the province of Occidental Mindoro between 1966 and 1967...
; Misteryo sa Tuwa and Soltero. She co-produced with Marilou Diaz-Abaya the movie Brutal with Peque Gallaga, Scorpio Nights; and with Tikoy Aguiluz in The Boatman.
Imee also produced and wrote animation featuring Nonoy Marcelo's "Da Real Makoy and Lam-Ang", among others.
Imee also held the following positions:
- President/Executive Producer of Renegade Filmamakers - (1996 to present)
- Founding Chair of the Kabataang Barangay Foundation - (1975–1986)
- Producer of Metro Magazine - (1975–1986)
- Consultant/Writer of the Children's Television Workshop for Asia and New York - (1977–1979)
Marcos has dabbled in drama, appearing in the Cultural Center of the Philippines
Cultural Center of the Philippines
The Cultural Center of the Philippines is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines. The CCP was established through Executive Order No. 30 s. 1966 by President Ferdinand Marcos...
' production of The Diary of Anne Frank.
After politics
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.Personal life
Former Congresswoman Marcos was once married to businessman Tommy Manotoc, an avid golfer and former Professional Basketball Coach. They have three sons: Fernando Martin ("Borgy"), a commercial model and a DJ; Michael, a student at New York UniversityNew York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
; and Matthew Joseph, a student at Claremont McKenna College. Marcos and Manotoc are now separated.
Most vocal defender of martial law
Imee Marcos is the most vocal defender of martial law and her father, the late Ferdinand Marcos. In her most recent pronouncements, she said: "The best roads and bridges were built during martial law. Even the movies then were very good."In his book "Martial Law Diary: Part 1", Ex-Navy Captain Danilo Vizmanos, wrote a scathing remark on the controversial martial law era under Marcos. Citing the heroism of Liliosa Hilao, who was raped, tortured and murdered by the military under Marcos, he wrote: "For the single crime that Marcos and his gangsters have committed on the brave but defenseless Liliosa, a million kilometers of paved roads and all the gimmicks they have come up with cannot erase from the (memory of) Filipino people such an abominable crime that will forever serve as the dark legacy of the New Society."
1n 2005, Imee Marcos took offense at the Arroyo government's subtle reference to the country spending one-third of its annual budget to service debts largely incurred during Ms. Marcos' late dictator-father regime. She claimed that in no way could the accumulated debt be the fault of her dead father. Commentator Jojo Robles of the Manila Standard Today cited the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant, completed but never fueled, on Bataan Peninsula, west of Manila in the Philippines. It is located on a 3.57 square kilometre government reservation at Napot Point in Morong, Bataan...
—the nation's single biggest debt and incurred during Marcos administration—which took 10 years to build at a cost of US$2.3billion, and which to this day has not produced a single watt of electricity. Mr. Robles said: "In this time of ever-escalating debt and oil prices, someone should tell Imee Marcos to get a grip on reality before absolving her father and his men...we're still paying the costs of Marcos the Elder's kleptocracy, whether in the form of higher power costs because of an unused power plant or unending payments incurred by a thieving regime."
There were several accusations of atrocities directed to Imee Marcos' security guards during martial law. In a university open forum conducted by Ms. Marcos on August 1977, Archimedes Trajano was forcibly taken by Imee Marcos' personal guards after he posted a question which embarrassed Ms. Marcos. Archimedes Trajano's body was found several days later, tortured and beaten to death. Trajano's family was among those awarded by the U.S. Federal Court in Hawaii, for damages for human rights violation covering torture, disappearances, and murder attributed to the military or the Marcos family during the Marcos dictatorship. The Trajano family meanwhile (as of 25 September 2006) has yet to see a penny of this compensation.
Imee Marcos is widely criticized for taking the lead in street protests in defense of human rights abuses which they say is out character for a daughter of a former dictator whose regime was well-known for its brutal violations of human rights.
Further reading
- Vizmanos, Danilo, author, Through the Eye of the Storm, Ken Inc., Manila, 2000 ISBN 971-8558-41-1
- Vizmanos, Danilo, author, Martial Law Diary: Part 1 Popular Bookstore, Manila, 2003
- Seagrave, Sterling, author, The Marcos Dynasty, Harper & Row, New York, 1988 ISBN 0-06-015815-8
External links
- Philippine House of Representatives
- Imee Marcos Online (archived 2005)