(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has confirmed his estrangement from older sister Sen. Imee Marcos, Malacañang said on Tuesday.
In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the chief executive reacted to the lawmaker’s earlier pronouncement that their relationship is “nonexistent” with the latter distancing herself from her brother and his family.
“Yes, they haven’t spoken for almost three years. She has not been attending family gatherings, family events,” Castro said, citing her earlier conversation with Marcos.
At a press conference in Cebu over the weekend, the senator said she has not seen her brother for over a year and has not been attending reunions as it is “not comfortable” for her. Despite this, she said she continues to care for her brother and hopes he prioritizes his health.
The Palace, on the other hand, has repeatedly dismissed her and the president’s critics’ claims that he has fallen seriously ill with Marcos even going as far as tagging as “liars” those who have been spreading misinformation about his medical condition.
Castro further noted that although the president has not been vocal about the state of his relationship with his sister, it is quite noticeable that he is dismayed by it, especially with the senators’ criticisms about him, his family, and his administration.
“Before he answered, he really thought about it, and from my perspective, his body language showed that he was disappointed with the words he heard from his sister,” she said.
Asked about the reason for the strained relationship between the siblings, Castro said only the senator can answer it.
“Maybe you should ask Senator Imee, because the president has no ill feelings towards his older sister,” she said.
