Sen. Imee Marcos and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. | FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is mum on why he skipped his sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, while introducing candidates in a sortie in Cavite last week, a Palace official said on Monday.
At a briefing, Usec. Claire Castro, Palace communications officer, was asked what Marcos meant when he only mentioned 11 candidates at the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas rally last Friday, skipping Sen. Marcos, who is vying for another term in the Senate.
All candidates were mentioned, including Camille Villar, who, like Sen. Marcos, was also not present during the sortie.
READ: Imee Marcos skips admin sortie in Tacloban due to Duterte arrest
“Ang pagkakasabi lang po sa atin ay maliwanag po ang kanyang sinabi, at hintayin na lamang po ang susunod na mga rally para malaman kung ano po ba ‘yung kanyang ibig sabihin dito,” Castro said.
(We were only told that what he said was clear and we should just wait for the upcoming rallies to find out what he really meant by it.)
READ: Imee won’t take sides in rift between Bongbong, Sara
“Ayon din po kay Senator Imee, hindi pa siya nakikipag-usap sa pangulo. So as of the moment, as of this time, as we speak, wala po tayong alam na nakapag-usap na sila,” she also said.
(According to Senator Imee, she has not yet spoken with the President. So as of the moment, as of this time, as we speak, we have no information that they have talked.)
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Senate Inquiry
Sen. Marcos is currently leading a Senate inquiry into former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest in relation to charges on crimes against humanity allegedly committed during his administration’s drug war.
In a statement released hours after last Friday’s rally, Sen. Marcos brushed off her brother’s actions.
“K lang, tutal sinabi ko na, na ang aking tututukan ay ang pagsisiyasat ng mga pangyayaring labag sa batas noong kinuha si FPRRD (former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte),” she said in a statement to reporters.
(It’s okay, after all, I already said that I would focus on investigating the illegal events that took place when former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was taken.)
Palace earlier dismissed concerns that Sen. Marcos leading a Senate inquiry into Duterte’s arrest is a “slap” to her brother’s administration.
“Kung ano man daw po ang gagawin na pag-he-hearing sa Senado, hindi naman po natin tututulan para ipakita sa taong bayan na tayo po ay sumusunod lamang sa batas,” Castro said at a briefing last March 20.
(Whatever hearing will be conducted in the Senate, we will not oppose it to show the public that we are simply following the law.)
“Hindi po ito sampal sa pamahalaan. Baka po it’s the other way around,” she also said.
(This is not a slap on the government. Maybe it’s the other way around.)