'Heartbroken' Imee Marcos to President Duterte: 'We are Not the Enemy'
President Rodrigo Duterte should realize that the Marcos family is "not the enemy," Sen. Imee Marcos said in response to the chief executive's recent attacks against his presidential aspirant brother.
The Marcos family is "absolutely heartbroken by the almost violent reactions of the President," the lawmaker said. Duterte had called ex-senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. a "weak leader" and revived talk about the candidate's alleged cocaine use.
"We are not the enemy. That is very, very clear. We've been allies, we've been supporters," she added.
Duterte had endorsed the candidacy of his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, as Marcos Jr.'s vice president. He backed the presidential candidacy of his long-time aide, Sen. Bong Go, which was later withdrawn..
Duterte earlier blamed the Marcos camp for Duterte-Carpio's decisison to seek the vice president instead of running to succeed him.
"We have been very, very grateful to the President for the many, many blessings he has brought upon not only Ilocos Norte but the entire Philippines," she said.
"Kaya sa amin, sana magbago rin kung nagkaroon ng tampuhan o nabigla kay Mayora (Sara) at sa amin, e sana maintindihan na lamang at tuloy-tuloy nating ipursige ito," she added.
As for Go deciding to withdraw from the presidential race, Imee assured those who are also planning to back out that the Marcos family would not exact revenge on them.
"Hindi turo ng aking ama, ni Apo Lakay, ang pagiging galit o paghihiganti. Do not get angry, least of all, do not get even. Revenge is God's, it's not ours," she said.
"Kaya para sa amin, kung may magwi-withdraw man lang o nagdadalawang-isip, huwag kayong mag-alala, wala kaming kinagagalit, kinatatampo, kinahinanakit, wala kaming ganun kasi talagang that's really not Marcos style," she added.
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