Smiling Imee

By Alex P. Vidal

“A smile is the chosen vehicle of all ambiguities.”—Herman Melville

“ANG galing mo a. Paano mo nalaman ang isyu na yan?” (You seemed good. How did you learn about that issue?)

The statement came from then Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, who was running for Ilocos Norte second district representative, shortly after our brief press conference at Sarabia Manor Hotel in Iloilo City sometime in 1997.

Smiling Imee was accompanied by her “proud” friend, then Calinog Mayor Alex Centena, who never stopped telling all and sundry he and Smiling Imee had been friends wayback when they were officers of the Kabataang Barangay (KB) or National Youth Council—the youth organization that would eventually be replaced by the Sangguniang Kabataan—in 1977.

Smiling Imee was the KB national chair, while Proud Alex was the KB chair in Calinog.

“Damu ang wala nakabalo diri sa Iloilo nga dugay na kami kilalahay ni Imee ya.” (Not many people in Iloilo know that me and Imee are long time friends), Proud Alex beamed.

Back to Smiling Imee’s “Ang galing mo a…” post-press conference utterance.

When a politician tells a journalist he or she is “magaling” (good) within the hearing distance of fellow politicians and media practitioners, you can be sure it’s hyperbole if not loaded with a pejorative message.

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Was Smiling Imee smiling when she recently made that migrate-outside-the-Philippines-if-Marcos-wins “joke” on newscaster Karen Davila?

It’s inconceivable for now Senator Imee to admire the Iloilo journalist who raised that issue about the behest loans during the Iloilo press conference since the subject matter didn’t sit well with the cronies pampered by her late father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

There were eight elements why a behest loan was immoral and probably illegal: loan is undercollateralized; borrower is undercapitalized; direct/indirect endorsement by high government officials; cronies own or control the borrowers; loan was used to other purposes; use of corporate layering; funded project is not feasible;

extraordinary speed in loan release.

Some P50 billion behest loans under the administration of Smiling Imee’s late father had been uncovered and ordered investigated in the Senate.

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On August 31, 1977, when Archimedes Trajano asked then 21-year-old Smiling Imee, “Must the Kabataang Barangay be headed by the president’s daughter? She would not have gotten the position if she weren’t the daughter of the president,” Smiling Imee, who was allegedly irritated, wasn’t smiling.

Trajano was reportedly forcibly thrown out of the open forum, and was subsequently blindfolded, and then allegedly beaten by her bodyguards.

The forum at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila was where Trajano was last seen alive.

This is the reason why it’s hard to trust Imee’s smile or Smiling Imee herself—when she smiles while saying something to a journalist or political critic.

Until now, no one can tell if Smiling Imee, now 66, is mad or happy at the person in front of her because when she talks about politics and other related issues, she has always been all smiles.

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Smiling Imee Marcos and former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief, Gen. Fabian Ver had been sued by Trajano’s mother, Agapita, in Hawaii for false imprisonment, kidnapping, wrongful death, and the deprivation of Trajano’s life on March 20, 1986.

In her defense, Smiling Imee admitted in court she knew about Trajano’s fate but claimed it was “none of her business.”

The Hawaiian court scuttled down Smiling Imee’s attempt to escape liability after she claimed immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which exempts foreign agents from prosecution.

Two reasons were given by the court in denying Smiling Imee’s arguments: one, the crime was committed beyond the scope of her official work and duties, and; two, she did not act upon the authority of the government but acted on her own authority.

Trajano had been tortured and killed and Smiling Imee was held accountable by the Hawaiian court that ruled in the dead student’s favor.

Trajano’s family was awarded damages of $4.16 million.

Smiling Imee, by the way, directed the “Ang galing mo a…” compliment at me. Although she was smiling, she probably meant it with nary a malice and ill-motive whatsoever. After all, she was smiling.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)