The Imeldifica: A reaction to the documentary “Imelda”

Malcolm Aniag
2012-10792

History has judged unfavorably against the Marcos clan. Supposedly, they are known by the world as the dictatorial family who plundered the nation’s riches and have been, in punishment, sent in exile.

Except that they aren’t. They aren’t in exile.

Some Filipinos, particularly those who came from the same province of Ilocos in the North, or those who were down South, and some individuals who reside in the capital Manila still support Ferdinand Marcos. They believe that there was nothing wrong in what Marcos had wanted to do. They believe that there was only an inherent flaw in the Filipino culture. One that refused to be lorded over so explicitly. They believe also that the fault is not in Ferdinand Marcos, but in the people he surrounded himself with, his cronies.

This documentary makes that a plausible point.

The term “cronies” here is applied generally. There are the cronies such as Gilberto Duavit, who owned and controlled the mass media networks of the time. Fabian Ver who wielded the military police according to Marcos’ bidding.

Beyond the names of his friends and his political allies however, friends and allies could only go so far in arguing and being intimate with a man. Surely, there must have been someone with the leverage to convince Macoy to stop the atrocities and clear violations of human rights. Surely, someone with a connection stronger than friends. As such, there may no greater accessory to the crimes of martial law than his wife, Imelda Marcos.

This documentary bears the self-absorbed nature of Imelda Marcos. This is exhibited with her giving away her photos of her face. Her inability to go beyond the comforts of her status and know exactly the grievances of her people – supposedly giving them places of culture instead of a proper live to live. Her self-made philosophies of the true, the good and the beautiful, as opposed to reading and recognizing the existing and well-established philosophies of today. And most glaring of all – her apparent disgust with intelligence, succinctly pointed out with her nice quote, “There is a line fine between craziness, and intelligence.”

Yes, there may be. But perhaps Imelda Marcos is in the extreme side of only one spectrum.

I wouldn't fault a supposedly smart man Ferdie to go crazy and do the things he did if he had such a wife.