Imee not discrediting Marcos admin? Palace says maybe that's her view

Malacañang responded Tuesday to the statement of Senator Imee Marcos that she was not discrediting the administration of her brother, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., amid the probe into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

"Siguro 'yun po 'yung sa tingin niya (Maybe that's her view)," Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro told GMA Integrated News' Unang Balita in an interview.

Castro said she has no information if the two Marcos siblings already spoke to each other.

Asked if Imee is still part of the administration's senatorial ticket Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, Castro referred the matter to their campaign manager Navotas City Representative Toby Tiangco.

Castro said Imee is still being invited to campaign sorties of Alyansa.

The President left out his sister in calling for public support for his Alyansa senatorial slate during campaign activities in Laguna on Saturday, and in Cavite on Friday.

Imee, chairperson of Senate foreign relations committee, launched a probe into the arrest of Duterte through an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

During a media forum on Satuday, Imee said she initiated the Senate hearing on Duterte's arrest without any intention of discrediting her brother's administration. The senator stressed that multiple resource persons from the government were provided opportunities to speak on the matter, thus it could not be said she conducted a "one-sided" hearing.

"Pumasok ako sa hearing na walang balak na siraan ang administrasyon. Wala akong balak. Nagtatanong talaga ako, honestly, I was investigating, as senators are obliged to do, the intricacies of international law and our relationship to ICC, Interpol, and so on," Imee said.

(I started the hearing without any intention of discrediting the administration. I had no intention. Honestly, I was asking, investigating, as senators are obliged to do, the intricacies of international law and our relationship to ICC, Interpol, and so on.)

"Wala talaga akong balak na sirain ang administrasyon ng kapatid ko... Kapag nag-imbestiga ka di mo naman alam ang kalalabasan eh. 'Di mo talaga alam. So 'wag na natin sabihin na sinadya 'yan. Naku, kung anu-ano na ang sinasabi, nakita naman nila, sila-sila naman ang di nagkakasundo-sundo sa kuwento, wala naman akong sinabi o nilagay sa bibig nila," Imee said.

(I really had no intention to discredit my brother's administration... When you investigate, you are really unsure about the outcome. You really don't know. So let's not say that I did that on purpose. So many things were said about the hearing, but what transpired was obvious. They could not agree on the narrative. I didn't say anything o put words into their mouths.)

Earlier, Imee admitted that the arrest of Duterte affected her participation in the campaign sorties of Alyansa's senatorial slate.

The senator was asked about the dynamics in Alyansa considering that some of the candidates expressed support to Duterte amid his arrest.

"Hindi pa kami nag-uusap ng ibang kandidato pero ako naiilag ako na pumunta dito sa mga Alyansa at iba pang pangangampanya. Ako ay iikot lang sa lokal," Imee said.

(I have not spoken with other candidates yet but I've been avoiding to attend Alyansa sorties and other campaigns. I'll just go around local areas.)

Last Saturday, Imee said she has not had a conversation with her brother in a long time, adding that she has only been able to talk to him during public gatherings. — VDV, GMA Integrated News

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