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Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

How Imelda Marcos, 90, is consolidating power in the Philippines

For two decades, Ferdinand Marcos ruled the Philippines. His regime was notorious for brutality and corruption. His wife, Imelda, was a symbol of that  corruption, with her 3000 pairs of shoes.

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By Madeleine Brand • Nov 7, 2019 • 1 min read

For two decades, Ferdinand Marcos ruled the Philippines. His regime was notorious for brutality and corruption. His wife, Imelda, was a symbol of that corruption, with her 3000 pairs of shoes. She also befriended leaders across the world like Richard Nixon, Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein and Mao Zedong.

Finally, the people had enough. The Marcoses had stolen roughly $10 billion. There was a revolution. The Marcoses were forced into exile in the mid 1980s. Ferdinand Marcos died. But Imelda Marcos returned a few years later, and since then, has slowly been amassing power for her kids. The Marcoses have a friendly relationship with the current Filipino president, Rodrigo Duterte.

Imelda Marcos is the subject of a new documentary called “The Kingmaker.”

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    Madeleine Brand

    Host, 'Press Play'

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    Sarah Sweeney

    Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

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    Michell Eloy

    Line Editor, Press Play

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    Alexandra Sif Tryggvadottir

    Associate producer

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    Lauren Greenfield

    photographer and documentary filmmaker

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