MANILA — The Palace on Wednesday claimed that Senator Imee Marcos’ renewed attacks against the Marcos administration were politically motivated and tied to her continued support for Vice President Sara Duterte amid the latter’s looming impeachment trial.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stated that after the senator criticized the government during an Iglesia ni Cristo gathering on Tuesday, describing the administration as being “drunk on power” and “high on drugs.”
Asked whether the senator’s remarks were politically motivated, Castro answered in the affirmative, saying the senator appeared focused on preventing Vice President Duterte from facing trial.
“She is clearly defending someone she does not want to see brought before the impeachment court,” Castro said in Filipino.
Castro also questioned why Senator Marcos had not spoken out on controversies during the Duterte administration, citing former President Rodrigo Duterte’s acknowledgment of ghost projects in 2020 and allegations made in 2018 by then-House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. regarding flood control projects that were allegedly left unfinished.
According to Castro, the senator neither criticized those issues nor publicly pushed for investigations despite the allegations.
The Palace official likewise recalled that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had earlier confirmed he and his sister have not communicated for almost three years, following Senator Marcos’ own statement that their relationship had effectively ended.
Malacañang has attributed the breakdown in the siblings’ relationship to the collapse of the UniTeam alliance that once united President Marcos and Vice President Duterte.
Their political separation was highlighted during the 2025 campaign period when the President did not include Senator Marcos while introducing administration-backed candidates at a rally in Cavite.
Earlier this year, Senator Marcos also claimed through a social media post that the President had been suffering from an illness since November, a statement the Palace rejected.
Senator Marcos has since remained closely aligned with the Duterte family. During a June 12 speech, Vice President Duterte said the senator would eventually be the one to bring former President Rodrigo Duterte back to the Philippines from the International Criminal Court in The Hague, asserting that Senator Marcos’ brother was responsible for his transfer there.
elamigo/xf
