Palace responds to Imee Marcos apology to dad over rift with brother Bongbong

''Sino po kaya ang dapat binantayan? (Who should have been watched over?)

This was the response of Malacañang when asked about Senator Imee Marcos seeking forgiveness from her father, the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., for not being able to watch over her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

''Ang sabi niya ay 'hindi nabantayan.' Sino kaya talaga ang hindi nabantayan ng magulang at sino ba talaga ang hindi nabantayan ang kapatid?'' Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said in a briefing.

(She said, 'wasn’t able to watch over him.' Who was really not watched over by the parents and sibling?)

Castro stressed that the President was not cursing, he is not having a meltdown, and he is not making threats against anyone. She also mentioned that Marcos is faithful to his wife, First Lady Louise ''Liza'' Araneta-Marcos.

''Unang-una po, ang Pangulo, hindi po ito nagmumura, hindi ito nagmi-meltdown lalo na sa publiko at hindi po ito nagbabanta sa buhay ninuman. Ang Pangulo po ay ikinasal, may pamilya, hanggang ngayon ay faithful sa asawa. So, sino po kaya ang naging pasaway? Sino po kaya ang dapat binantayan?'' she said. 

(First of all, the President does not curse, does not have a meltdown in public, and does not make a threat to the life of anyone. The President got married, has a family, and up to now is faithful to his wife. So who is the one who is hard-headed? Who should have been watched over?)

Further, the Palace official said that Marcos never destroyed the image of his siblings.

''Alam po ng Pangulo ang nangyayari sa atin at sa mga pangyayari sa ating paligid. At asahan po natin na ang Pangulo, hindi po siya naninira ng kaniyang kapatid,'' Castro said.

(The President knows what is happening to us and around us. And we can count on the President not to defame his own sibling.)

GMA News Online contacted Senator Imee's office to get her comment but they have yet to issue a statement as of posting time.

In a video posted on Holy Monday, Imee recalled that her father used to tell her to repent and reflect on who she should forgive and ask forgiveness from during the Holy Week. 

Imee, who appeared emotional in the video, also said there were many people who were behind the rift with her younger brother.

In November last year, Imee accused the President of using illegal drugs—an allegation that Malacañang called "desperate."

The senator went on to dare the First Family to take a hair follicle drug test to counter her accusations, in exchange for a DNA test to dispel rumors regarding her parentage.

Asked about his sister's accusations, the President expressed concerns about the senator, saying her actions were very unlike her. —KG, GMA News