The Indo Daily: Downfall: The millions plundered, ill-gotten jewels and bullet-proof bras of Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos

Tue 11 Jun 2024 at 07:06

During her time as first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos was often seen being chauffeur-driven through the slums of Manila. At traffic lights, she would wind down her window and pass out wads of money to the city’s impoverished families – and there were millions of struggling families in the Philippines during her reign.

Adored by locals for her kindness and admired by the international glossy magazines for her style and glamour, Imelda Marcos was the woman who appeared to have it all.

But that life began to unravel in 1986 and would soon see her and her husband flee the Philippines as the country sought to capture and punish the once-worshipped couple.

But what the rioters would find in her abandoned palaces would shock the world and tarnish the beloved House of Marcos.

From multi-million dollar buildings in Manhattan, to $80,000-dresses, to bullet-proof bras – Imelda had it all.

But how did she and her presidential husband live such a lavish lifestyle? The answer would change everyone’s perception of the first lady and create an infamous political legacy.

Today on The Indo Daily Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Katherine Ellison, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, writer and author of the book ‘Imelda: Steel Butterfly of the Philippines’ to look at the extraordinary downfall of one of the world’s most enigmatic women – Imelda Marcos.