Senator Imee Marcos has officially withdrawn from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s senatorial slate, Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas, citing deep political differences with the administration. At the heart of her decision is the government’s alleged role in the arrest and transfer of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
As chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Imee Marcos led a March 20 hearing on Duterte’s arrest, where government officials repeatedly invoked executive privilege and the sub judice rule, refusing to disclose key details. This, she argued, only fueled suspicions of a constitutional breach.
“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,” Imee Marcos said.
She accused the administration of deliberately obscuring the truth. “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,” she warned.
Imee Marcos revealed that her initial findings show government actions that “run counter to my ideals and principles.” As a result, she declared, “I cannot stand on the same campaign platform as the rest of the Alyansa.”
Reaffirming her independent stance, she stressed, “As I have stated from the outset of the election period, I will continue to maintain my independence.”
She also underscored her commitment to national sovereignty. “Over and above political advantage, the sovereignty of the country and the interest of true justice for every Filipino must remain paramount,” Imee Marcos said.
Her fallout with the administration was further amplified when President Marcos Jr. noticeably omitted her from his campaign rally in Laguna, where he declared that Alyansa only had 11 candidates—seemingly confirming his sister’s departure from the coalition.
