Imee on joining admin's 2025 Senate slate: 'Hindi ko nga alam kung kasama ako'

Despite being related to the president by blood, Senator Imee Marcos seems to be unsure whether she will be endorsed by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for her 2025 re-election bid.  

"Hindi ko nga alam kung kasama ako," Marcos said in an ambush interview when asked if she will join the administration slate.

(I don't even know if I will be included.)

Senator Marcos noted that there might be around 50 candidates who will seek a seat in the Senate for the 2025 midterm polls and there are already several political parties that are completing their own line-ups.

"Nakikita ko 'yung iba’t-ibang slate, palagay ko magiging singkwenta ang kandidato kasi napakarami po namin. May Lakas, may PFP, marami eh — napakarami. Kaya nalilito ako, pero tingnan natin. Mahaba-haba pa naman ang panahon," Marcos said.

(I see the different slates. I think there will be 50 candidates because there are just so many of us. There's Lakas, PFP, many others. I am getting confused. But let's see. There's still quite some time left before the elections.)

"Ang pulitika sa Pilipinas ay laging basketball. Kaya abangan ang last two minutes," she added.

(The politics in Philippines is always like basketball. So wait for the last two minutes.)

Despite the recent developments in the political landscape, particularly the resignation of her ally Vice President Sara Duterte as her brother's Education secretary, the lawmaker maintained that her 2025 campaign won't be "complicated."

"Para sa akin hindi naman komplikado. Ako ay inihalal bilang mambabatas at senador. So kung ano ang trabaho ko, kung kailangang ibunyag ang katotohanan, kung may hindi matutuwa, kung may magagalit, at magtatampo, magtiisan na lang po tayo kasi 'yan ang trabaho natin at ang aking pananagutan ay sa mga mamamayang Pilipinong bumoto sa atin," she said.

(For me, it's not complicated. I was elected as a lawmaker and senator. So whatever my work is, if truth has to be revealed, if someone will not be happy, if someone will be angry or resentful, just bear it because that is my job and I am accountable to the Filipino citizens who voted for me.)

Last week, Senator Marcos lamented that the "UniTeam" tandem of the president and vice president has already been broken.

"Nakakalungkot talaga na nabiyak yung 'UniTeam' at syempre ang tinatanong ko, sa lahat ng suntok na kinaya at tiniis ni VP, ngayon pa sila nagtatanong at nagugulat? Sobra naman," Marcos said.

(It is sad that the 'UniTeam' got broken. And of course my question is, with all the blows sustained by the VP, they're only questioning and are surprised now? That's too much.)

It was the lawmaker who brokered the tandem between her brother and Duterte for the 2022 polls.

After Duterte's resignation, Marcos said she will continue to believe and stick with the vice president .

In the same interview, Marcos dismissed rumors that she will run for mayor in Manila City.

"I am up for reelection in May next year and despite many rumors that I am running for Manila City and other places, magpapare-elect lang ako (I will just seek reelection)," she said. —KG, GMA Integrated News