Bonus

Abuses and offenses must have been committed, or there wouldn’t be reparations for thousands of Filipinos legally established to have suffered human rights violations during Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorial rule.

This much Imee Marcos would concede. The eldest of the dictator’s three children has publicly apologized to those who suffered during her father’s regime.

But the apology was blunted by her call for the nation to “move on.” With no one ever being punished for the abuses of the Marcos regime, I don’t know if moving on will ever be possible.

On their unexplained wealth, believed to run into billions of dollars, Imee says there are still about 270 cases under litigation so she would rather let their lawyers do the talking. She laughs off stories about their wealth being sourced from her father’s supposed discovery of the fabled World War II booty buried by Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita.

Facing us on “The Chiefs” on One News / Cignal TV, Imee said her father was already a successful private lawyer representing top multinationals before he became a public official.

So how come Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos reported a total combined income of only P16,408,442 from 1965 to 1984, of which P11 million supposedly came from his legal practice?

My co-host Ed Lingao of TV 5 tried several versions of the question: where did your vast wealth come from? He got the same answers. Plus the explanation that the Marcos children were still young and unaware of corruption, human rights violations and other abuses of power attributed to their parents’ regime.

This must be a family strategy, to distance the younger generation from the sins of the elders. And it looks like it’s working. Imee ranked eighth in a recent Pulse Asia survey on Senate aspirants.

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Former first lady Imelda Marcos has been convicted of graft for the first time ever and has withdrawn her candidacy for Ilocos Norte governor. Maybe Imeldific wants to avoid jail time, as critics point out that if she’s healthy and young enough to seek three more years of elective office, she must be healthy and young enough to be placed behind bars.

Instead Imelda will be replaced as candidate for governor by Imee’s son Matthew Manotoc. Their political challenger is Rodolfo Fariñas, who as House majority leader had launched a congressional probe into allegations that Imee, together with several officials of the province, had misused P65 million in tobacco funds.

Crops – and agriculture in general – are among the priorities of Imee for legislation in case she is elected. She’s done her homework and has solid ideas about the reforms she intends to introduce through legislation. She also sees the potential of tourism for developing the countryside and empowering rural communities.

Whether or not you like the Marcoses, you have to hand it to them: Ilocos Norte is one of the better run provinces.

Of course the province enjoyed priority attention during the regime of its favorite son. As Imee put it, “weather-weather lang yan.” But the province didn’t fall into neglect even in the many years after “Marcos weather” ended. The “solid north” remained behind the Marcos clan, a solid voting bloc that was courted even by the so-called yellows regardless of the political weather.

When foreigners ask me about the enduring power of the Marcos clan in their bailiwick, I suggest a visit to the province. Filipino culture stands out, from the cuisine to the local products and eco-friendly tourist destinations. The road network is good and clean. Peace and order is relatively stable. There is a noteworthy effort to use renewable energy particularly wind power.

Imee herself has formidable charm. Some years ago, when someone complimented her for looking good, she quipped, “Salamat sa agham at teknolohiya (Thanks to science and technology).” And describing her financial status during a party, she said, “I’m solid but I’m not liquid.”

I know her candor has disarmed even certain individuals she would describe as dilawan.

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Inevitably, however, her father’s regime is casting a long shadow over Imee’s bid for the Senate.

Asked about accusations that their clan is engaged in historical revisionism, she says the family has a right to give its version of what happened during her father’s regime. The narrative, she says, has been dominated by the dilawan – the yellow forces that sent her family into exile.

She’s not denying that abuses were committed during those 20 years, and she’s not ruling out that retribution could still lie ahead. There’s a global freeze on her family’s assets. And outside this country that has treated the family with remarkable forbearance, the Marcos surname is still associated with what has been described as a “kleptocracy.”

Still, if the surveys are accurate, Imee Marcos will be the next child of the late dictator who will win a Senate seat.

Is a bid for even higher office possible? Imee replied that her brother’s electoral protest in the vice presidential race hasn’t even been resolved yet. But her answer wasn’t a categorical no.

The dictator is buried, according to his wishes, in the heroes’ cemetery. His heirs are unbeatable in local elections. His only son and namesake Ferdinand “Bongbong” Jr. made it to the Senate and came within a hairbreadth of the vice presidency.

I asked Imee: what would she consider as the ultimate vindication for the Marcos family?

She grinned, thought a bit, and said she was happy enough as things stand. “All I wanted was to come home,” she said. “Everything else is a bonus.”