‘First Lady Not Influencing Me’

First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos has “zero” involvement in appointments and in governance, President Marcos said on Monday, Jan. 23, even as he revealed that he consults his wife on some legal questions.

Speaking to television journalists at Malacañang, Marcos said he and his wife do not discuss policies and that he does not consult her on his political decisions.

“Zero. She really has no input on that,” he said when asked about her role in his governance. “The First Lady helps in terms of the organization. She is actually very good at that, organizing which office, how the office… workflow goes, where the documents go through. She’s a well-trained lawyer… but that’s the extent of it,” the President said.

“I mean she’ll comment, she’ll generally say that looks good, that doesn’t look good, I don’t know why you’re doing that. But that’s it,” he added.

Marcos said he asks Liza about legal matters but she does not join meetings with his legal team.

“Whenever there is a legal question, I am not a lawyer, so I need an expert opinion. She’s right next to me most of the time so I could turn to her. I am very lucky, I think I have the best legal representation of any president. I have a former chief justice as my executive secretary. I have JPE (Juan Ponce Enrile), who is working as legal counsel to the President. And between all of these experts and legal luminaries that’s the only time that the discussion may include Liza,” he said, referring to former chief justice Lucas Bersamin.

“But she doesn’t come to the office and sit with us at all. If I have something to ask, usually definitions; define to me what is the legal definition of this, what is the legal definition of that. When they talk about this, what do they mean, what’s the legal concept behind that. She’s a teacher so that’s the kind of question I ask her.”

There have been social media posts accusing the First Lady of meddling in the appointment of officials, an allegation she has vehemently denied.

Earlier this month, Liza warned people who intend to use her name to secure government posts.

“I just want everyone to know that I have nothing to do with ISAFP (Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines). I don’t know the people involved. I have nothing to do with the appointments, I leave that up to my husband,” she said in a 35-second video clip sent to reporters last Jan. 7.

“And if I find out that somebody is using my name, I shall tell my husband not to appoint you, OK? So, I hope this is clear.”

Future president?

Marcos also clarified that his son, House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Sandro Marcos, is not being groomed as the next president from the Marcoses.

“We’re not grooming him for anything. He’s grooming himself. He has decided on this career in politics. He will handle it the way he does. There’s not some long range plan that one day Sandro is going to become president. He will laugh in your face when you tell him that,” the President said.

“He has work in Ilocos Norte. Even talks of the presidency would be so, so premature, and it’s not something that we plan. I think he has the same attitude as I do. I’ll take this as far, I’ll do as well as I can, work as hard as I can and take this as far as I can,” he added.

Sandro joined his father in some of his foreign trips, including his attendance at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week.

Marcos said while everybody “dreams to be in the number one position,” it doesn’t mean that his family has a long range plan in politics.

“Not at all. He’s (Sandro) too busy anyway, he has too much work. The reason why he accompanies us is because he’s an author of the Maharlika fund bill and sometimes... I had an inter-view with the Financial Times, he took over when it came to the Maharlika bill,” he added.