President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Sen. Imee Marcos, Oct. 16, 2018. Jonathan  Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File 

MANILA — Sen. Imee Marcos on Thursday admitted she has had no communication with her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., while Malacañang denied an alleged rift between the siblings.

The lawmaker said she has not talked to her brother even before she led a Senate investigation on his government's arrest and surrender of former President Rodrigo Duterte to stand trial before the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity in the drug war.

“Matagal na kami hindi masyado nag-uusap. Maraming humaharang. Matagal na," the senator said in a press conference.

"Nakikita ko lang ‘pag public events. At saka, mabilis lang yun, maraming tao," she added.

Asked whether she felt the Senate probe on Duterte’s arrest had angered the President, Sen. Marcos said yes.  

"Nung umpisa, sabi nila, hindi na daw makikilahok yung gobyerno. Pakatapos nun, ang dami-dami ng testigo, ah, sabi ko, okay na. Ang dami-dami, nagpapadagdag pa nga sila ng pangalan, nagpadagdag pa nga sila ng upuan, kinapos pa nga tayo ng pagkain,” the senator said.

“Nagulat naman ako nung nagalit na nga, kasi nga siguro hindi nagkakasundo yung mga sagot, hindi tumutugma.  Hindi ko na kasalanan yun. Malay ko ba kung anong isasagot nila.”

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Sen. Marcos said she was keeping the doors open for a reconciliation with her brother. But she also claimed some people were driving a wedge between them.

"Lagi naman akong nandito, lagi naman akong manang. Hindi mo ako nagbabago kailanman. At mula pa nung bata kami, parati naman siyang pinagbibilin ng tatay ko na alalayan. Ang problema, hindi ko na magampanan. At maraming humaharang, hindi nakikinig, hindi ko alam,” she said.

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LEAVING ALYANSA 

Sen. Marcos has been skipping the campaign rallies of her brother's Senate slate, the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas. The President has mentioned his sister among his candidates in his last speeches.

Sen. Marcos said leaving the ticket was for the best.

"Palagay ko, sila rin nahihirapan. Pag hindi ako sisipot, tapos na-announce na nila na 11 lang,  tapos hindi na binabanggit yung pangalan ko, para huwag nang nag-aalanganin. Mas klaro, di ba?” she said.

"Yeah, okay lang, okay lang. Walang problema kasi nga sabi ko, nakatutok naman ako dito. Hindi naman na eleksyon, kampanya, politika ang pinaka-importante. Nangingibabaw sa akin itong mga dagok sa ating kalayaan, sa ating soberanya. Hindi ko kaya to eh. Talagang ipaglalaban ko yan. "

"Yung hindi binanggit, pagkatapos sabi, labing isa na lamang ang kanilang kandidato, eh huwag na tayo magpahirapan ng katawan, eh sabi ko, kakalas na muna ako kung nahihirapan kayo. Mas madali naman ganun, okay lang sa akin, walang problema."

Malacanang agreed that Sen. Marcos’ exit from Alyansa would be for the best, especially if she felt that her values were not aligned with the administration coalition.

“Sa ngayon po, siya naman po ang nagsabi na siya’y kumakalas na sa Alyansa dahil ang sabi niya ay hindi yata pareho ang kanilang mga adhikain, ang adbokasiya,” Malacanang Press Officer Claire Castro said.

“Kung hindi po talaga nalilinya ang kaniyang mga paniniwala sa paniniwala ng Alyansa, mas maganda po siguro talaga na siya ay umalis dahil kung hindi niya po paniniwalaan ang mga programa ng Alyansa, hindi po talaga magkakaroon ng magandang relationship,” she said in a Palace press briefing.

Imee Marcos says leaving Alyansa over differences on Duterte arrest

Castro declined to speculate on the relationship between the President and his older sister when asked whether Duterte’s arrest had caused a rift between the siblings.

“As we can see from the statements of Senator Imee Marcos, it seems like there is. But on the part of the President, we cannot say that there’s a rift between the relationship … in the relationship of the two siblings. So, hintayin na lang po natin kung mayroon mang sasabihin ang Pangulo,” she said.

“But sa ugali kasi ng Pangulo, hindi po siya masyadong…alam ninyo po iyon, hindi siya pikon. Kaya kahit anong banat, kahit nakita na ninyo po si Senator Imee Marcos na nandudoon sa Maisug rally habang binabanggit ng dating Pangulong Duterte ang paninira sa kaniya, kay PBBM, wala po tayong nadinig. Wala rin po tayong nadinig na anumang hinanakit, kung mayroon man ha, mula sa Pangulo para sa kaniyang kapatid.”

Sen. Marcos declined to comment on Castro’s remarks.

"In the immortal word of my mother, Imelda Romualdez Marcos, to patol is human, to deadma is divine. Let's be divine," she said.

Regarding the Senate panel probe on the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, the senator denied doing the investigation to help her candidacy.

"Hindi naman ako nag-imbestiga para magpasikat or ma-endorso or maging bahagi ng ibang partido. Nag-imbestiga ako para malaman kung ano talaga ang nangyari at kung talagang nasunod ang batas ng Pilipinas, kung talagang kaya natin tayuan ang ating soberanya at Kalayaan," she said.

Marcos pointed out that the arrest ofDuterte has implications beyond the political dynastic feud between the 2 families.

"Palagay ko, lampas-lampas na to sa Duterte at Marcos. Ang pinag-uusapan na dito, yung soberanya ng ating bansa. Mabigat na to eh. Ibang usapan na ito. Kung ano-ano nang dagok ang nangyayari. Ito nga, yung mga EDCA sites, yung mga typhon missiles, yung sangkatutak na banggaan, kuno dyan sa West Philippine Sea. Ano lang matitira sa atin? Pati yung mamamayang dinadampot na lamang at naging probinsya na tayo ng The Hague," she said.

VILLAR

Marcos, meanwhile, said she had no information on the status of her partymate in the Nacionalista Party, Camille Villar who is also an administration senatorial candidate but who has missed campaign allies since the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Members of the Villar family have come out in support of the former leader.

"Wala, wala. Actually, I saw her dad yesterday. Wala naman binanggit. Tinatanong ko, may direktiba ba ang NP? Sabi nila, wala. Yung NP kasi, chill na chill kasi na kwan yun eh. Na Partido. Hindi masyadong nakikialam. So, hindi pa kami naguusap ni Camille. Pero ang sabi naman, ang sabi  sa diario sumipot daw si Camille doon sa meeting noong 24 ba yun? Oo, diba? Sabi doon sa interview na pumunta daw si Camille," said the senator.