Palace Press Officer Claire Castro during the Palace briefing on February 16, 2026. Screen grabbed from RTVM’s livestream.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Senator Imee Marcos have not spoken for almost three years, Malacañang said, confirming a prolonged estrangement within the First Family.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the information came from the President himself after he was asked to react to the senator’s remark that their relationship had become “non-existent.”
Castro said she raised the issue with Marcos following a Committee on Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport hearing, where the matter was brought up in relation to recent political statements.
According to her, the President confirmed that communication with his sister had ceased for years and that she had also stopped attending family gatherings and events.
She added that Marcos appeared disappointed when responding to the issue, based on her observation during their exchange.
Castro, however, said the President did not discuss the cause of the rift and maintained that there were no hard feelings on his part, adding that Senator Marcos should be asked for further explanation.
The estrangement comes as tensions within the UniTeam alliance continue to surface, with both siblings making separate public remarks in recent months.
Senator Marcos earlier said in Mandaue City, Cebu, that she had not seen the President for about a year and that their relationship no longer existed.
She was also notably absent in a campaign sortie in Cavite in March 2025 where other candidates were introduced, and later posted a video message alleging the President had been ill since November, a claim Malacañang rejected.