Sen. Imee Marcos and PDP-Laban senatorial bet Raul Lambino

MANILA, Philippines – Despite having government executives push back with floundering answers at the Senate hearing on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest, Sen. Imee Marcos isn’t likely warming on PDP-Laban who are mostly inclined to believe the inquiry was practically of no help. 

This was according to senatorial bet, lawyer Raul Lambino who said the effort was late because the former president was already flown to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. 

“Sabi namin, too late the hero kung talagang hero siya. Sa tingin namin eh walang naitulong ‘yung ginawang pagdinig diyan sa senado dahil alam na lahat na mali ang ginawa ng gobyerno,” Lambino exclusively told Republika News on Monday at the Pandesal Forum. 

Lambino said Imee’s inclination to the Dutertes is simply to boost her numbers that have dwindled as seen in the surveys. 

“Unang-una nakita na niya ‘yung kanyang kalagayan bilang isang kandidatong senador na mababa an siya sa survey,” he said. 

“Palagay ko alam na ng taong bayan kung anong  klaseng mga pulitiko itong mga senador na nandadiyan ngayon kasama na diyan ang kapatid ng presidente at hindi siya pinaniniwalaan ng taumbayan,” he said. 

He also believes that Imee’s move of probing her brother’s cabinet members only messed things up for the lawmaker. 

“Palagay ko lalong nadiin siya diyan sa kanyang ginawa,” he said. 

Lambino reasoned that if Imee really had concern for the former president, she should have made an action to try to stop the arrest last March 11, ultimately, convincing her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. or at least went to Villamor Air Base where it was all happening and call out the government. 

“Kasi kung talagang may malasakit siya sa mga Duterte, kay Tatay Digong, eh alam naman niya na ilang oras na siyang diniditine sa Villamor Air Base eh ano’t tatagan niya ‘yung kanyang kapatid na presidente,” he said.

“O kung hindi man siya sagutin katulad ng sinasabi niyang hindi sila gaanong nakakapagusap, eh di sana humarap na lang sana siya sa media nagpunta na lamang sana siya dun sa Villamor na katulad namin at nagpainterview siya roon at nanawagan siya na itigil na itong kalokohan na ito,” he said. 

“Wala hindi niya ginawa eh pagtakatapos nung makita niya na oops, maling-mali ang ginawa at sabi ng taumbayan, meron nang reaksyon eh. Taumbayan na ‘yung nagrereact saka siya umaksyon na magimbestiga sa senado,” he said. 

Imee not good with PDP 

When asked if the senator is doing good with members of PDP-Laban, Lambino said no. The constitutional law expert mentioned that critics and analysts are even saying that the senator’s move was not actually a defiance to her brother but in fact, a maneuver to flip the situation. 

“Binigyan niya ng pagkakataon itong mga taong nasa gobyerno ng pagkakataon na ipaliwanag ‘yung kanilang maling ginawa baka sakaling paniwalaan ng taumbayan,” he said. 

“‘Yan ang reaksyon na nabasa natin sa mga iba’t-ibang grupo at iba’t-ibang personalidad dun sa ginawang pagdinig sa senado.”

BBM drops Imee from admin ticket? 

Imee has been vocal about her long-standing feud with younger brother evident in her criticism against various Marcos administration moves such as the controversial People’s Initiative, the “very very bad” 2025 national budget, Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment and the most recent being the former state chief’s arrest. 

In many interviews, the senator has always said she has not been able to talk to the president and only sees him in public gatherings because some people tend to block their communication. 

But after grilling the key government officials involved in Duterte’s arrest, Marcos no longer called for support for her in senatorial sorties further fueling rumors that she was dropped from the admin ticket. 

Imee however said she does not have any information yet if she has indeed been dropped, and if so, she said she’s “okay” with it. 

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