Seeing Duterte whisked off to ICC triggers exile flashback for Imee
Sen. Imee Marcos | (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Although said in jest, Sen. Imee Marcos shared she might be experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after seeing former President Rodrigo Duterte being whisked away to The Hague, Netherlands to face the charges against him.
It reminded her of the time when their family was exiled to Hawaii after the 1986 People Power Revolution that ousted her father, then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
“Well, it’s like I’m getting PTSD from everything that’s happened to President Duterte — the impeachment, the series of setbacks from flawed budget proposals…” Sen. Marcos said in a Zoom interview with reporters on Tuesday.
“Post-traumatic stress disorder. I felt traumatized by everything that’s happened,” she added.
READ: Imee Marcos sees ‘cover-up of irregularities’ in Duterte arrest
Duterte was sent to the Hague to face the allegations of crimes against humanity lodged against him at the International Criminal Court in connection with his administration’s war on drugs.
His daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, on the other hand, is facing an impeachment trial for alleged misuse of her offices’ confidential funds and assassination threats against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., his wife Liza, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“When I saw President Duterte being taken away, the only thing I could think of was my father and how our family was also taken to Hawaii. It brought back so much trauma—it just feels like too much,” Sen. Imee added.
READ: VP Duterte cites trust in Imee Marcos in ‘ITIM’ campaign ad
The senator is now leading the probe on Duterte’s arrest as head of Senate committee on foreign affairs.
She said she is not only traumatized but is also distracted by what is happening around her specifically noting the seeming intention to crush a former ally of the administration.
VP Duterte was President Marcos’ running mate in the 2020 elections and remained an ally even after they won.
The president even appointed the VP as his education chief until she resigned in June 2024.
