Imee Marcos: A Look at Her Education and the Controversies Surrounding It

Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios "Imee" Romualdez Marcos-Manotoc, born on November 12, 1955, is a prominent Filipino politician and film producer. Her career spans various roles, including being a senator since 2019, governor of Ilocos Norte from 2010 to 2019, and representative of Ilocos Norte's 2nd district from 1998 to 2007. Imee Marcos' political career began during her father's martial law regime, becoming chairperson of the Kabataang Barangay (KB) Foundation in 1977 and a member of the Batasang Pambansa in 1984. However, her educational background has been a subject of controversy, particularly during the 2019 elections.

Early Life and Education

Imee Marcos is the daughter of former President Ferdinand Marcos. She turned ten years old the day after her father was elected in 1965. Her early life was marked by her father's political career, and she spent time in Malacañang, the official residence of the president. In a 1999 interview with Filipinas Magazine, she expressed discomfort with the formality and confinement of living in the palace.

While residing at the palace, Marcos asserted that she attended 'regular' schools in Manila. However, she had to discontinue her education due to the challenges faced by the First Family in going out caused by protest rallies outside Malacañang. Marcos and her siblings (Ferdinand Jr. and Irene) were studying overseas before Marcos signed Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972. The siblings stayed there until they ended their studies, but would come home for Christmas and summer holidays.

Controversies Surrounding Higher Education

During the 2019 elections, Marcos's educational background has been steeped in controversy.

Princeton University Claims

In her campaigns, she noted that she was a graduate of Princeton University in the United States. On 26 February 2019, the student newspaper of Princeton, The Daily Princetonian, reported that Marcos falsely claims that she graduated from the university. However, Princeton deputy university spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss stated that Imee's claim was false and completely fabricated, as she never graduated from Princeton University.

In a later interview with news anchor Tina Marasigan on DZMM TeleRadyo, she was asked whether she really graduated from Princeton or not, and whether her status as a Princeton graduate could be proven.

University of the Philippines (UP) Claims

At the same time, Imee's claim that she was a cum laude from the University of the Philippines Diliman was found to be fabricated. According to University of the Philippines Cebu, Professor Madrileña de la Cerna, Marcos did not take 35 units worth of courses at the College of Law by the time she was supposed to graduate. UP Executive Vice President Teodoro Herbosa noted that "there is no record of Imee's graduation from UPD (University of the Philippines Diliman) nor any honors or academic distinctions received with the University Registrar's office."

Despite the missing units, the college faced political pressure to allow her to graduate, but the faculty, led by Ms. A few days after the University of the Philippines held its recognition ceremonies for 1983, a televised recognition ceremony held at the Meralco Theater showed Imee Marcos graduating, and being honored magna cum laude even though she had not actually graduated. Marcos claimed in her curriculum vitae during her time at the House of Representatives that she graduated with a bachelor's degree from the UP College of Law.

A faculty member stated, "There was indeed some kind of a ceremony held which looked as if she graduated. I was there. It was a little bit PR that, strictly speaking, we should not have participated in. It borders in fact on a little bit of misrepresentation. Imee had sounded very confident that she would submit the certificate. Maybe she was not telling the truth --- how can I know? Four years afterwards, when she could be considered for graduation, we discovered that she never submitted her [undergraduate] diploma.

Santa Catalina School

Marcos has also claimed she graduated from Santa Catalina School as "class valedictorian" for more than four decades.

Imee Marcos' Response

When questioned about her educational background, Imee Marcos has expressed confusion about the need to apologize for martial law and her father's actions. She stated, "What am I apologizing for? I’m confused what I’m supposed to apologize about. We’re always supposed to apologize about martial law, about my father." She also mentioned the numerous issues surrounding her background, saying, "It’s an issue na napakaraming issue. Alam mo sabi, wala na rin akong birth certificate, magulo rin kung sino ang ama ko, pati high school, pati elementary ang dami na e."

Marcos has maintained that, to the best of her knowledge, she has provided accurate information about her education. She added, "Para sa akin, I’ve answered it before. Ang sinabi ko nga na as far as I know, ito yung ginawa ko. Marami akong kaklase sa UP College of Law." She has urged people to move on from these issues and focus on work, stating, "Sana isantabi na ‘yan, tigilan na yang mga ‘yan at diretso na tayo sa trabaho. Tapos na ang eleksyon e."

Political Career

After returning from Princeton, Marcos entered the world of politics as chairperson of the Kabataang Barangay Foundation in September 1977. On the same day she became chairperson, student Archimedes Trajano of Mapúa Institute of Technology was found brutally murdered after questioning her appointment at his school's open forum the day prior. On June 30, 1984, she won a seat as one of two assemblyman to the Batasang Pambansa for Ilocos Norte (the other assemblyman was Antonio V. Raquiza) under the wing of her father's dictatorship.

Twelve years after her family's exile, Marcos returned to politics. She ran as Congresswoman of the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte and won. She assumed office on June 30, 1998. She was then reelected in 2001 and 2004. In the 2010 elections, she ran as governor of Ilocos Norte against her cousin, Michael Marcos Keon, who was the governor during that time. She defeated her cousin in the elections. Imee had 196,160 votes while Keon had 86,005 votes. She assumed office on June 30, 2010. She was re-elected in 2013, unopposed. After the 2019 Philippine Senate election, she placed eighth and won one of the twelve contested seats.

Controversies During Political Career

Imee Marcos' political career has been marked by several controversies:

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Archimedes Trajano Case

The torture and killing of Archimedes Trajano was attributed to Imee Marcos, then the National Chairman of the Kabataang Barangay. "On August 31, 1977, Archimedes Trajano, a 21-year-old student of Mapua Institute of Technology, attended an open forum with Imee Marcos, 21-year-old daughter of the dictator. Her father had appointed her National Chairman of the Kabataang Barangay youth organization. When Trajano questioned her about her appointment, Imee apparently became irritated. Her guards seized Trajano and dragged him away. Nine years after the killing of Archimedes Trajano, his mother, Agapita Trajano, pressed charges against Imee Marcos and her accomplices for "false imprisonment, kidnapping, wrongful death, and a deprivation of rights" of her son.

Misuse of Funds

On March 2, 2017, House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, along with Pampanga representatives Aurelio Gonzales Jr. and Juan Pablo Bondoc, filed House Resolution 882, which requested the House Committee on Good Government to "conduct an inquiry" about the misuse of PHP66.45 million from Ilocos Norte's share of excise tax funds to obtain more than 110 units of motor vehicles. The resolution cited that the "highly irregular purchase" violated 2 republic acts-RA No. 7171, "An Act to Promote the Development of the Farmer in the Virginia Tobacco Producing Provinces," and RA No. 9184, "Government Procurement Reform Act --and 1 presidential decree: PD No. The vehicles were said to be for distribution to the different barangays and municipalities. Upon continued investigation and hearings, the House committee discovered that all the purchased vehicles "were overpriced by PHP21,450,000."

Offshore Leaks - Panama Papers

Imee Marcos was named in the Offshore Leaks - Panama Papers, along with her three sons, Fernando Martin, Matthew Joseph, Ferdinand Richard Michael, her sister Irene Marcos, her brother-in-law Gregorio Maria Araneta III, and her estranged husband Tommy Manotoc's relatives Ricardo Gabriel Kalaw Manotoc and Teodoro Kalaw Manotoc. According to records uncovered by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Imee and her three sons are beneficiaries of the Sintra Trust, which was formed in June 2002 in the British Virgin Islands.

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