PHILIPPINES: IMELDA MARCOS DEFENDS HER LATE HUSBAND'S MEMORY

(20 Feb 1996) English/Nat

As the Philippines prepares to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the overthrow of dictator President Ferdinand Marcos, his widow remains in the country defending her late husband's memory.

Here in an interview with A-P-T-V, she maintains her husband was the hero of the People Power Revolution that ended his regime.

In death the former Philippines leader, President Ferdinand Marcos lies in state as a revered hero in his hometown of Batac, Ilocos Norte.

But his widow Imelda has still to fulfill his dying wish of being laid to rest at Manila's Heroes Cemetery.

Imelda has returned to her ancestral home in the Philippines from exile in Hawaii where Marcos died.

She maintains her husband was the real hero of the revolution that unseated him, and is determined to clear his name.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
When they talk about heroes of EDSA, the real hero was Marcos in Malacanang Palace. He had all the resources and yet he did not lift a gun to shoot at a Filipino traitor, or those who betrayed...
SUPERCAPTION: Congresswoman Imelda Marcos

Ten years ago during the peaceful People Power Revolution on February 25th 1986, Filipinos celebrated the overthrow of the dictator and the election of President Cory Aquino.

SOUNDBITE: (English) We were very sad, initially of course shocked about the whole thing, that close allies, co-workers and officials of our government and close relations had gone the other side.
SUPERCAPTION: Congresswoman Imelda Marcos

After living in exile in Hawaii, Imelda Marcos is back in the country and in politics, despite pending court cases regarding the Marcos' alleged ill-gotten wealth.

Last October she took her oath before the Supreme Court justice as the Congresswoman for her hometown of Tolosa Leyte.

Surrounded by her loyal supporters, she says she is now starting to pick up from where they left off.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Ten years, I'm starting to rise again, like a phoenix. Hopefully, the truth will come from the ashes of what was done to us.
SUPERCAPTION: Congresswoman Imelda Marcos

For many Filipinos, 10 years have gone far to erase much of what was bad about the Marcos regime.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
The image of Marcos is no longer as severe from the point of view of Filipinos. They even see him as a President who might have done his job as a leader of the country fairly patriotically .
SUPER CAPTION: Felipe Miranda, Social Weather Station

Miranda is one of the founding members of the Philippines Social Weather Station, a public opinion survey.

She says most Filipinos feel differently about his widow.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
Even if both have been alive, there would be so much more distrust, so much more negative feelings toward Mrs. Marcos because she led what the public perceive to be a much more luxurious, much more irresponsible lifestyle.
SUPERCAPTION: Felipe Miranda Social Weather Station

Only a decade after the revolution that overthrew her, Imelda has not been punished. Analysts are puzzled why Filipinos seem to have so soon forgotten the Marcos dictatorship.

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