Imelda Marcos
Imelda Romuáldez Marcos (locally [ɪˈmelda ˈmaɾkɔs]; born Imelda Remedios Visitación Trinidad Romuáldez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who was First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power after her husband Ferdinand Marcos placed the country under martial law in September 1972. She is the mother of current president Bongbong Marcos.
The Honorable Imelda Marcos CCLH | |
|---|---|
Marcos in 2006 | |
| Member of the Philippine House of Representatives | |
| In office June 30, 2010 – June 30, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Bongbong Marcos |
| Succeeded by | Eugenio Angelo Barba |
| Constituency | 2nd District of Ilocos Norte |
| In office June 30, 1995 – June 30, 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Cirilo Roy Montejo |
| Succeeded by | Alfred Romualdez |
| Constituency | 1st District of Leyte |
| Member of Parliament for Region IV (Metro Manila) | |
| In office June 12, 1978 – June 5, 1984 | |
| 1st Governor of Metro Manila | |
| In office February 27, 1975 – February 25, 1986 | |
| Appointed by | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Vice Governor | Mel Mathay (1979–1986) |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Joey Lina (OIC) |
| Minister of Human Settlements | |
| In office June 12, 1978 – February 25, 1986 | |
| President | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| First Lady of the Philippines | |
| In role December 30, 1965 – February 25, 1986 | |
| President | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Preceded by | Eva Macapagal |
| Succeeded by | Vacant (1986–1992) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez July 2, 1929 San Miguel, Manila, Philippines |
| Political party | Nacionalista (1965–1978; 2009–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (1978–2015) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Imee Marcos Bongbong Marcos Irene Marcos Aimee Marcos |
| Residence(s) | Makati, Metro Manila |
| Criminal information | |
| Criminal status | Released on bail pending appeal |
| Conviction(s) | Graft |
| ||
|---|---|---|
Second term
Martial law
Family
Unexplained wealth
Related
|
||
| ||
During her husband's 21-year rule, Imelda Marcos ordered the construction of many grandiose architectural projects, using public funds and "in impossibly short order" – a propaganda practice, which eventually came to be known as her "edifice complex". She and her husband stole billions of pesos from the Filipino people, amassing a personal fortune estimated to have been worth US$5 billion to US$10 billion by the time they were deposed in 1986; by 2018, about $3.6 billion of this had been recovered by the Philippine government, either through compromise deals or sequestration cases.
Marcos and her family gained notoriety for living a lavish lifestyle during a period of economic crisis and civil unrest in the country. She spent much of her time abroad on state visits, extravagant parties, and shopping sprees, and spent much of the State's money on her personal art, jewelry and shoe collections – amassing 3,000 pairs of shoes. The subject of dozens of court cases around the world, she was eventually convicted of corruption charges in 2018 for her activities during her term as governor of Metro Manila; the case is under appeal. She and her husband hold the Guinness World Record for the "Greatest Robbery of a Government", putting Suharto of neighboring Indonesia at second.
The People Power Revolution in February 1986 unseated the Marcoses and forced the family into exile in Hawaii. In 1991, President Corazon Aquino allowed the Marcos family to return to the Philippines to face various charges after the 1989 death of Ferdinand. Imelda Marcos was elected four times to the House of Representatives of the Philippines, and ran twice for the presidency of the Philippines but failed to garner enough votes.