Imelda Marcos – Who, What and How is She?

Imelda Marcos

Probably one of the most controversial figure arising from the Philippine  political scene is that of Imelda Marcos.  Born on July 2, 1929, Imelda Marcos is best known for being the wife of former Philippine President , Ferdinand  Marcos and a First Lady with a collection of 5,000 pairs of shoes. Her husband,   President Marcos held power from 1965 to 1986 and was ousted  from office  on  February 25, 1986 by a popular 4 day people power revolution.  

Steel Butterfly

Being the better half to a president of a country, her influence  over her husband played  a major role in defining not only  government policies but also to the  Philippines’  image to the world  for over 20 years.  Earning her the moniker  “Steel Butterfly.”   It was a time where the Philippines was at the  peak of it’s popularity in the global stage  brought by the extravagant lifestyles the Marcos’  displayed  during that era. Imelda  was  always at the forefront  to these activities having made acquaintances with the rich and famous.  On several occasions, Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos hosted  lavish parties attended by  elite personalities famous throughout the world.  In the local scene, Imelda spearheaded several high profile projects such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Philippine International Convention Center, Folk Arts Theater, Philippine Heart Center, the Coconut Palace to name a few.  These were edifices meant to depict the status symbol Imelda was trying to achieve.  But behind these facades lay images of Filipinos suffering from mass poverty and abuse to human rights.  Some say she was even behind the slaying of Marcos oppositionist,  Ninoy Aquino upon his return to the  Philippines on August 21, 1983.  An accusation that could not hold any grounds till this day.

Cultural Center of the Philippines

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Philippine International Convention Center

Since the fall of  President Marcos, Imelda  has been relegated  contrary to  the notion of her status symbol. Accusations of  corruption and amassing fortunes  were left for her to answer since the death of her husband. After having lived in exile for  5 years (1986-1991), Imelda returned to the Philippines to face charges against her. For further reading regarding her trials you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imelda_Marcos#Corruption_trials

Imelda’s Return

As it is today, the Philippines still harbors the effects of poverty and corruption many say even worst than the Marcos era.  It can not be denied that  that life in the Philippines was better off during the Marcos regime despite  accusations of human rights abuse and corruption.  This factor had paved the way for Imelda’s return to the political scene. In the course of her trials, Imelda had run for public office in 1995 as Congress Woman for her province, Leyte,  achieving a landslide victory.  And in the recently held national elections, she again ran for office this time as Congress Woman for Ilocos Norte and again won the elections. 

As the  life of Imelda Marcos has etched a mark in  Philippine history, at the age of 82  she still continues to be an enthralling figure in the Philippine political scene.