Imee Marcos

Imee Marcos is a senator in the 19th Congress, serving her first term since 2019.

She attended Princeton University, first during the Fall 1973 to Spring 1976 terms, then during the Fall 1977 to Spring 1979 terms, but did not finish her degree, contrary to her claims that she graduated from the university. She also claimed to have graduated from University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law and Asian Institute of Management (AIM). UP, however, said it had no records of Marcos graduating, while AIM said it never offered the degree she claimed to have earned.

Marcos is the daughter of dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos and Imelda Marcos, and sister of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Her career in politics started in 1975, when she chaired Kabataang Barangay. She also served as one of the two assemblyman to the Regular Batasang Pambansa for Ilocos Norte from 1984 to 1986, when the unicameral legislature was abolished in the aftermath of the EDSA People Power Revolution. Her family was later exiled to Hawaii.

In 1991, the District Court of Honolulu, Hawaii, found Marcos civilly liable for the “wrongful death” of student Archimedes Trajano. But the Philippine Supreme Court in 2006 did not enforce the payment because of failure to serve summons.

Twelve years after their exile, Marcos returned to politics and ran as representative of the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte in 1998. She held the position for three consecutive terms until 2007. Three years later, she was elected governor of Ilocos Norte and held the position for three consecutive terms until 2019. Marcos then ran for senator in the 2019 elections, winning the race at eight place.

Aside from questions about her educational background, the senator is also marred with a myriad of controversies: in 2013, she was found to be a beneficary of a secret offshore trust; in 2017, a Rappler report said Ilocos Norte’s share of the tobacco excise tax was used to fund the Marcos’ pet projects as governor for at least two years; in 2018, Sandiganbayan records showed she and her brother Bongbong were beneficiaries of the Swiss foundations earlier found by the anti-graft court as illegally created and maintained.

Marcos currently chairs four Senate panels: committee on cooperatives, committee on electoral reforms and people's participation, committee on foreign relations, and committee on social justice, welfare and rural development.