FACT CHECK: Imee Marcos remains as senator

Claim: Senator Imee Marcos was removed from her post as Senator after her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., filed a case against her.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A Facebook post claiming that Senator Imee Marcos was removed from her post was published on November 30, 2025, and has since garnered over 600 reactions, 400 comments, and 20 shares.

The post claimed, “Nakakagulat na balita! Inalis si Imee Marcos sa Senado matapos siyang kasuhan ni PBBM, kumalat ang impormasyon tungkol sa kanyang pagtanggal sa opisina, at naging tensyonado ang politikal na kapaligiran.”

(Shocking news! Imee Marcos was removed from the Senate after PBBM filed a case against her; information about her removal from office has spread, and the political environment has become tense.)

The same false claim has also been shared across other social media platforms.

The facts: Senator Imee Marcos remains a sitting senator of the Philippines, contrary to claims that she was removed from office by her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The President has no power to remove or impeach any member of the Senate. Under the principle of separation of powers, the Senate has the exclusive authority to discipline its own members.

Article VI, Section 16 of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines states that it is only the Senate that can punish, suspend, or expel 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. A penalty of suspension, when imposed, shall not exceed sixty days,” the charter says. 

Since the Senate does not have any pending case or unfavorable decision against Senator Marcos, she is expected to complete her current term, which is set to expire on June 30, 2025. Her term may only end prematurely if she resigns, passes away, is found guilty of any grave misconduct punishable by impeachment that will be heard by the Senate Electoral Tribunal, or is expelled by the required two-thirds vote of her colleagues.

Family dispute: The false claim likely stemmed from the intensifying political rift between Imee and her brother which became public following the March 11, 2025, International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity during his “war on drugs.”

Imee, who had publicly aligned herself with the Duterte political faction, had previously bolted the President’s senatorial slate in protest against the administration’s implementation of the ICC warrant.

The tension escalated further on November 17, 2025, when Senator Marcos, speaking at an Iglesia ni Cristo rally, publicly accused the President of drug use.

“Kaya kong mabigo at mawala sa ’yo ang posisyon pero hindi ko kayang mawala ka sa amin. Ayusin mo ang sarili mo. Magpagamot. Alisin ang droga sa iyong sistema,”she said.

(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)

The President later addressed the accusation, suggesting his sister’s well-being was a concern for him, his family, and friends.

“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 that is — is because the lady you see talking on TV is not my sister…I hope she feels better soon,” the president said. – Reinnard Balonzo/Rappler.com