Imee's agony

“Bonget, tatlong taon na tayong hindi nagkakausap. Tatlong taon ko nang sinusubukang muli mo akong pakinggan. Siguro ngayon ay makakarating nang buo ang gusto kong sabihin. Walang mababawasan, hindi madadagdagan. Bongbong, nag-aalala sayo si Manang. Tuwing nakikita kita sa TV, gusto kitang puntahan. Napakalaki ng pinagbago mo. Itsura, pagsasalita at takbo ng pag-iisip. Minsan nagtatanong ako sa sarili ko, kung ikaw pa ba yan. Si Bongbong ba talaga yang nakikita ko? Pero ako, ading, ako pa rin ito. Ako pa rin ang ate mo na tumayong ama’t ina sa inyo sa ibang bansa. Ang kasama mo at sumubok na sanggain lahat ng sakit para sayo. Ang kapatid mo na hindi mo kailangang hingan ng tawad dahil agad ka nang iniintindi at tatanggapin dahil mahal kita.” Senator Imee Marcos to President Bongbong Marcos in a speech at an anti-corruption rally on November 17, 2025

Every word she uttered must have pierced her heart. She was speaking not as a senator anymore but as a sister. She claimed she and her brother haven’t talked to each other for a long time. She, the ate, is in pain.

That we are in pain whenever we have deep misunderstanding with a brother or sister is perfectly natural. No matter how siblings quarrel, they usually unite when attacked by outside forces. The bond is unbreakable at least for most families.

The world you share during your childhood with your siblings is one of the most beautiful memories. You defend each other. Parents have one common advice to their children: help each other, especially when they (parents) are no longer around.

Sadly, as siblings grow, their priorities change, and their meetings become rarer. Misunderstanding sets in. Quarrels over properties characterized many emotional court battles. Love is replaced by deep hatred. No sight is more heartbreaking to watch!

It took many years before Imee spoke publicly about BBM's drug abuse. Every family that has a drug addict can very relate to her story. She took every possible to step to help him overcome his addiction. But there is something in addiction --in fact, in all forms of addiction-- that’s deeply scary: it distorts the mind.

It's easy to wonder why Imee had to come out publicly about his brother's problem. It's easy to opine that the better part of prudence was for her to just keep it to herself or within the family circle. They could have fixed it among themselves. It's a “family problem,” so goes a common phrase. Ideally, yes!

However, drug addiction involving the highest official of the land is an entirely different matter. It isn’t something one could simply shrug off as a family issue. Every decision he makes affects the country. We cannot have a president signing executive orders or bills under the influence of drugs.

Moreover, Imee feels responsible for his brother's ascension to the presidency. In 2022, she convinced Sara Duterte, then leading in all presidential surveys, to be BBM's vice president. It was a tandem that resulted in a landslide victory.

But the irony began to unfold. Even before her brother's victory, his circle became impenetrable to her. She no longer had access to him. Her words “Siguro ngayon ay makakarating nang buo ang gusto kong sabihin” revealed her yearning to speak to him more seriously had she been given the chance.

“Unahin na natin ang kalusugan mo. Dahil sa adiksyon – nabigyan mo ng karamdaman ang bansa.” She wants her brother to be well again, and she is aware that the country has been adversely affected.

For Imee’s supporters one of the most touching parts of her speech was this: “Lahat ng kasama mo ngayon, hindi natin kasama sa pinakamadilim na bahagi ng buhay natin. Kasama mo sila ngayon dahil nasa taas ka pa.” She reminds her brother.

It’s the verdict of history that will tell whether Imee's public revelation about her brother's alleged addiction serves the best interest of the country. Will history judge her kindly? Was she doing “bayan muna, bago sarili”?