Marcos Warns Of Violence If She And Son Denied Office

Imelda Marcos said Saturday that election results have vindicated her family and warned of “national disaster” if she and her son are denied congressional seats.

With 70 percent of the votes counted, the widow of the late President Ferdinand Marcos was leading the race for a House seat to represent a district in central Leyte island.

But election officials have disqualified her for not having lived in Leyte for the required one year. She has appealed to the Supreme Court.

Marcos on Saturday accused unnamed persecutors of carrying out “all kinds of sinister plans” against her, but said the vote count “is a great source of fulfillment and vindication for me.”

Her son, Ferdinand Jr., was not doing as well at the polls. The election watchdog National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) said with 52 percent of the votes counted, he was 16th in a race for 12 Senate seats.

Marcos said her son could only lose if there was massive fraud, and warned of disaster if she and her son were not seated in Congress.

“This is very dangerous,” she said of the possibility. “We are courting national disaster. It might be very painful to the country.”

At least 40 people have been killed this week in election-related violence.

NAMFREL said allies of President Fidel Ramos were ahead in nine of 12 Senate races, with some races remaining very close. Preliminary tallies also showed Ramos allies leading in 183 of 204 House races and 68 of 76 provincial governorships.