During the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas campaign rally in Trece Martires, Cavite, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. notably did not mention his sister, Senator Imee Marcos, in his endorsement speech—despite Cavite being a key province with over 2.4 million voters.
Both Imee and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar were absent from the rally, but only Imee was left out of the president’s remarks. When asked for a reaction, Imee told GMA News Online that it was “okay” and reiterated her focus on investigating the legality of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest.
This marks the second time Imee has skipped an Alyansa campaign event. She previously missed the Tacloban rally, citing discomfort over Duterte’s arrest and calling out the Marcos administration for allegedly handing him over to foreign powers.
Interestingly, President Marcos still mentioned and endorsed Imee during the Tacloban rally, unlike in Cavite.
Imee’s absence has fueled speculation about internal tensions, especially after she led a Senate probe questioning Cabinet members over Duterte’s handover to The Hague. She argued that the Philippines should not act like a “province” of the international court.
Meanwhile, campaign manager Rep. Toby Tiangco has yet to comment on why Imee was excluded from the Cavite speech.
Alyansa remains confident in Cavite, with three of its senatorial bets hailing from the province: Senators Bong Revilla, Francis Tolentino, and ex-Senator Ping Lacson.