Senator Imee Marcos Retains Position in Senate

The political rift between siblings President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Senator Imee Marcos made headlines again this week, but contrary to viral social media claims, the presidential sister has not been removed from her Senate position.

A Facebook post published on November 30, 2025, which has garnered over 600 reactions, 400 comments, and 20 shares, falsely claimed that Senator Marcos had been ousted from office after her brother filed a case against her. The post, written in Filipino, dramatically described a “shocking” removal and a tense political environment following the alleged ouster.

The claim, which has spread across multiple social media platforms, fundamentally misunderstands the constitutional separation of powers in the Philippines. Under Article VI, Section 16 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the President has no authority to remove or impeach any member of the Senate. Only the Senate itself has the exclusive power to discipline its members.

“Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all its Members, suspend or expel a Member,” the Constitution states, with any suspension limited to a maximum of 60 days.

As there is no pending case or unfavorable decision against Senator Marcos within the Senate, she remains a sitting senator and is expected to complete her current term, which expires on June 30, 2025. Her term would only end prematurely through resignation, death, impeachment after being found guilty of grave misconduct by the Senate Electoral Tribunal, or expulsion by a two-thirds vote of her colleagues.

Political analysts believe the false claim likely emerged from the intensifying and increasingly public political divide between the Marcos siblings. The rift became particularly visible following the March 11, 2025, arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity related to his controversial “war on drugs” campaign.

Senator Marcos, who had increasingly aligned herself with the Duterte political faction, publicly broke with her brother’s senatorial slate earlier this year in protest of the administration’s cooperation with the ICC warrant—a significant political realignment within the powerful Marcos family.

The sibling tension reached new heights on November 17, 2025, when Senator Marcos made explosive accusations during an Iglesia ni Cristo rally, publicly suggesting that the President was using drugs.

“I can bear it if you fail and lose your position, but I cannot bear to lose you. Take care of yourself. Get treatment. Rid your system of drugs,” she said in Filipino, directing her comments at her brother in an unprecedented public rebuke.

President Marcos later responded to these allegations with apparent concern rather than anger, telling reporters: “For a while now, we’ve been very worried about my sister. When I say we, I’m talking about friends and family. And the reason is—is because the lady you see talking on TV is not my sister… I hope she feels better soon.”

This family drama has captivated Philippine political observers, as the Marcos dynasty continues to navigate the complex terrain of familial relationships intersecting with national politics. The fabricated claims of Senator Marcos’s removal highlight how quickly misinformation can spread in the heated Philippine political landscape, particularly when it involves members of influential political families.