JE C.C.
On May 7, 2025, Senator Imee Marcos found herself at the center of a firestorm following a heated interview on ANC’s Hot Copy with veteran journalist Karen Davila.
The exchange, which quickly went viral, sparked widespread criticism of Marcos, with netizens and political commentators accusing her of hypocrisy and evading accountability. The interview, now dubbed a “third-degree burn” moment by netizens has reignited debates about the Marcos family’s controversial legacy as the 2025 midterm elections loom.
LOOK: Senator Imee Marcos suffers third degree burns after Karen Davila calls out her hypocrisy and lies.
P.S. Can someone edit this and attach the Robert Wilde ending soundtrack na kenkoy in the end haha#ImeeProblema#Halalan2025 pic.twitter.com/XhpwJwS7oK
— Jesus Falcis 🇵🇭 (@jesusfalcis) May 7, 2025
The controversy erupted when Davila pressed Marcos on her silence during the 2017 arrest of former Senator Leila de Lima, a vocal critic of the Duterte administration’s drug war. At the time, Marcos was known for her outspokenness on various issues, yet she remained conspicuously quiet about de Lima’s detention, which many viewed as politically motivated.
Davila’s pointed questioning highlighted the contradiction: how could Marcos champion certain causes while ignoring others, especially when selective justice seemed at play? Marcos, visibly rattled, attempted to pivot the conversation to agricultural imports—a move netizens like @RonnieTuason labeled as a desperate deflection.
“Pinapag-comment ka sa katahimikan mo nung pinakulong si de Lima, paano napunta sa usapang agricultural imports?” Tuason tweeted, echoing a sentiment shared widely online.
The backlash was swift. Falcis’ post, which included a split-screen image of the interview, garnered thousands of reactions, with hashtags #ImeeProblema and #Halalan2025 trending. Commenters like @JMBORRA13 mocked Marcos, calling her “babalina” (a play on her name, implying foolishness), while @oleb20511 remarked, “Biglang kambyo—yan ang napapala kapag selective justice ang pinaglalaban.”
Biglang kambyo😁 yan ang napapala kapag selective justice ang pinaglalaban.
— SticksNStones (@oleb20511) May 7, 2025
The criticism underscored a broader public frustration with the Marcos family, whose history of alleged corruption—estimated at $5 billion to $10 billion in ill-gotten wealth by the Presidential Commission on Good Government—continues to cast a long shadow.
@SenImeeMarcos, pinapag-comment ka sa katahimikan mo nung pinakulong si @manayleila, paano napunta sa usapang agricultural imports? At regardless kung senator ka o hindi ng time na yun, maingay ka rin naman sa ibang isyu ah! Nasoplak ka na naman! Ipokrita!
— Ronnie Tuason (@RonnieTuason) May 7, 2025
This isn’t the first time Marcos and Davila have clashed publicly. In 2022, Marcos trended after teasing Davila about not migrating following her brother Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s presidential win. However, this latest exchange has struck a deeper chord, amplifying calls for accountability as the 2025 elections approach. With the Marcos-Duterte alliance fractured and public scrutiny over political dynasties intensifying, Marcos’ perceived hypocrisy could prove costly.
As @werandj noted, “Divert the topic na lang si madam”—but for how long can she dodge the tough questions?
