Scamfluencers - Imelda Marcos: The First Lady of Excess Part 2 | 181

Episode Date: October 6, 2025

After declaring martial law in 1972, Ferdinand Marcos cemented his dictatorship over the Philippines – jailing opponents, silencing dissent, and amassing untold wealth with his wife, Imelda. But as the country’s economy buckled, the Filipino people pushed back through protests, lawsuits, and international pressure. When Ferdinand’s health starts to decline, Imelda launches a campaign to secure her family’s grip on power – and build a dynasty that will last for generations.Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to Scamfluencers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/scamfluencers/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey there, Scamfulencers fans. Want to be the first to know how these wild scams unfold. Join us on Patreon to get early access to episodes, add free listening, and exclusive content that reveals even more of the drama. Just search for scamfluencers on Patreon and dive deeper into the scandal. Sarah, you and I are Canadian, and so we are very familiar with political family dynasties. and Justin Trudeau's dad used to be Prime Minister, as I know you know. Yep, I feel like Americans really don't know that he is a nepo baby in that sense. It's a fun fact to tell them. It is fun.

What do you think about political nepo babies? I think it's a bit twisted. I mean, it's crazy for me to imagine seeing my parent or grandparent go through probably like one of the worst jobs and soul-crushing, morally terrible kind of things you can do and then be like, I'm going to do it right. I'll be the one to do it and I'll do it the right way. Well, I asked because today we're talking again about one of the Philippines's most notorious political couples,

Emelda and Ferdinand Marcos. Last episode, they made it to the presidential palace, all while stealing, cheating, and lying. Now, their reign is about to be tested by political rivals, civilian unrest, lawsuits, and finally, the rise of their very own Nepo baby. It's November 1978 in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Bill Formoso, the assistant editor of the Bulletin newspaper,

is working late when someone runs into the newsroom and shouts, The military is outside. Bill rushes to the window. Trucks are parked out front and soldiers are storming into the building. His stomach sinks. He knows exactly why they're here. For the past six years, The Philippines has been under martial law, ruled by President Ferdinand Marcos.

And tomorrow, the bulletin is releasing the results of a survey where university students named their heroes. The students ranked Benino Aquino Jr., the jailed leader of the liberal opposition party, above First Lady Amelda Marcos. You might remember him from our last episode. He goes by Ninoi. And Amelda must have caught wind of it and thrown a fit. Yes, I remember him.

He was kind of the opposition who, provide a lot of optimism for, like, real people in the Philippines, and I am scared for him. Yeah. Because these people cannot handle someone being more popular than them. Yeah, how they're perceived is the most important thing to them. And so Bill can only watch as the soldiers literally stop the presses and gather up copies of tomorrow's paper. But they're too late to get them all.

About 300,000 have already been sent out. So the next day, the military forces the paper to withdraw every copy. in circulation. Officially, the paper blames printing defects. But Bill and plenty of others know the truth. The Marcoses are erasing any proof of an opposition party, especially evidence that it's actually popular with the Filipino people. They don't want anyone to question their power and authority.

But the student survey shows that Filipinos are ready for a change. And that, even from a jail cell, Ninoi is the symbol they're rallying behind. He's about to make waves that could loosen the Marcos' iron grip on the country. But Imelda and Ferdinand will do anything to hold onto their power, no matter how deadly the cost. Grab a coffee and discover Vegas-level excitement with BetMGM Casino. Now introducing our hottest exclusive, friends, the one with the multi-drop. Your favorite classic television show is

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And I'm Sarah Hagey. And this is scam influencers. In our last episode, Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos rose to power in the Philippines. Ferdinand's a smooth-talking politician with a Messiah complex. Amelda, a beauty queen turned first lady who became a force of her own. Ferdinand seized control of the nation in 1972 by declaring martial law. Enemies were jailed, critics were silenced, and the Marcos'es lived in luxury while their country crumbled. But now, the Filipino people are fighting back.

And through riots, lawsuits, and global condemnation, Amelda will have to do whatever it takes to keep the Marcos family in power, and, of course, keep the spotlight trained directly on her. This is Amelda Marcos, the First Lady of Excess, Part 2. It's mid-March, 1980, and Ni Noa Akino has been in prison for more than seven years. He's in solitary confinement when he collapses from a heart attack. He's rushed to the hospital where he suffers a second heart attack.

While there, doctors discover a blocked artery that needs immediate attention. But Ninoi doesn't trust the doctors in the Philippines. He thinks they might kill him under Ferdinand's orders. So he refuses their help, and he says he'll only go to the U.S. for treatment. Otherwise, he'll just go back to his cell and die. While he's still at the hospital, Amelda pays him a surprise visit. No AIDS, no cameras, just the two of them behind him. closed doors. And no one knows exactly what was said, but soon after, the Marcos's agree to let

Ninoi leave the country for treatment. But there are two conditions. He has to come back once he's healed, and he has to keep his mouth shut while he's gone. That is so terrifying. Imagine someone with all the power in the world, basically coming to you alone. And somehow leaving with the type of agreement, I'm actually very confused by this. Well, the Marcus' claim they're letting him go as a humanitarian gesture. But Ninoi sees it for what it truly is, damage control. If he dies under the Marcus' watch, he becomes a martyr, and that is the last thing they want.

Ninoi agrees to the terms and leaves on a plane to Dallas that night with his family. Once he recovers from surgery, he stays in the U.S. instead of going back to the Philippines. He also quickly defies the other condition of his pack, too. He begins writing books, giving lectures, and traveling the country, denouncing the Marcos's. He says, quote, a pact with the devil is no pact at all. I totally understand that, and I feel like he's really playing this in a way that, you know, is a bit kind of fearless. It is true. They would never hold up their end of the bargain, so why should he?

Yeah, it's a good point. And then, in December in 1980, Ninoi gets an unexpected summons to the Waldorf. of towers in New York. Amelda wants to see him. She says it's to negotiate. Revolutionaries have been setting off bombs in Manila, and the Marcos has believed that Ninoi has been orchestrating the attacks from afar. Ninoi knows her summons is not a request.

It's an order. So he goes to New York, and they talk for four hours. Well, Amelda talks. She name drops Reagan, Bush, and Nixon, trying to intimidate him with her powerful friends. And she warns Ninoi that if he doesn't call off, off the rebels and stop speaking out, there will be consequences. Ninoi listens, and then he leaves.

Amelda may think her warning worked, but Ninoi won't be silenced by anyone. He knows that one day soon, he'll have to go back to the Philippines. His people deserve better than the Marcos regime. And when he does return, he's going to fight for them. Consequences be damned. A month later, in January 1981, Ferdinand technically lifts martial law. But it seems to be just for show. He unveils a new constitution, one that allows him to run for indefinite terms. He reinstates presidential elections, but of course,

there is no guarantee these elections will be fair. He also maintains all powers he's gained over the last eight years. He can still arrest anyone and jail them without trial. He can override the country's legislative body. And he can rule by presidential decree. The dictatorship hasn't ended, it's just been rebranded. At his inauguration, then Vice President George H.W. Bush gave a toast saying, quote, we love your adherence to democratic

principles and to the democratic processes. Oh, I bet you do, George H.W. Bush. I bet you do. He's never done anything wrong before. None of the Bushes have, in fact. No, I think this is the most important thing in the world to him, I'm sure.

Yes, exactly. Well, Amelda is still in New York, and she has other priorities. She's fallen in love with some real estate. On a visit to the Crown Building on Fifth Avenue, she decides she has to have the $51 million property. According to court documents, she pleads with Ferdinand to buy it for her,

reportedly breaking down in tears until he agrees. But one building isn't enough. She goes on to buy three more. She spends $55 million on 40 Wall Street, which will later be known as the Trump building. Another $30 million is spent on an office building on Madison Avenue and $19 million for the retail and office space known as Harold Square. Reportedly, she says she wants to make $70 million in profit on these buildings

within the next six years, all for her own personal gain. Amelda later tries to rationalize these purchases as strategic investments, a way to link the Philippines more directly to global capitalism. According to her reasoning, New York's role as the world's financial, capital, paired with Manila's opposite time zone, and she could build a nonstop, 24-hour business pipeline between east and west. But nearly every cent of her purchases come from Filipino taxpayer funds, literally from the pockets of people who are essentially still living under martial law back home.

It's crazy that she has goals, to be honest, where she's like, I'm going to buy this, and then I'm going to buy this, and then it's going to be worth this many millions of dollars, and that's my investment. And you're like, you don't have money. Yeah, you do not have money. This is money from other people. Listen, she dares to dream. And meanwhile, back in the Philippines, people are growing restless. Public trust in the Marcos regime is crumbling. The economy is sluggish. The annual GDP is on the decline, and more than half of the population is living in poverty. The fantasy that martial law

would bring order and prosperity has long since worn thin. But while discontent simmers in Manila, the Marcos' new U.S. investments fly largely under the radar. Most Americans aren't paying attention. And the couple's high-powered friends, including former President Reagan, still see them as close allies, regardless of how they got their power or what they're doing now that they have it. But dissent is spreading, and soon, the true cost of the Marcos' luxurious lifestyle will become tragically clear. It's around 2 a.m. on a November morning in 1981,

and construction crews are hard at work on yet another Amelda pet project, the Manila Film Center. This one broke around in August, and she wants it done by January. That's when she's launching the inaugural Manila Film Festival. She dubbed her event The Can of Asia, and during her recent trip to the States, she invited some of her Hollywood friends like Robert Redford,

Safia Loren, and Faye Dunaway, to attend. With only four months to build an entire center, crews are working around the clock. Tonight, their job is to pour concrete over the roof. Some of the workers think it's crazy to cover the entire roof in one night. It's too much weight, and if it's poured all at once, the roof could cave in.

But if they want to meet Amelda's deadline, they have no choice. Sure enough, the roof collapsed. Dozens of workers are crushed to death or trapped under tons of debris. The remaining workers try to rescue them from under the rubble, but security won't let rescuers or ambulances in for fear of scandal. No help arrives for nine hours. Initially, the death count is at 26, with 41 people injured.

But the death toll will eventually grow to 169. This is an awful look for the Marcos' is. but instead of offering resources to help, they institute a 15-hour news blackout so no one can report on the tragedy. When the sensor is lifted, they claim that only three people died and 34 were injured.

And they say they're going to push forward with construction. Imelda says the festival is an international commitment and will help launch Manila as the center of Asia's film market. They can't pause. Having people get crushed to death, and have that big of a death toll of something that could have been so avoidable. And then on top of that, having a 15-hour news blackout where they then change the amount of people who have died or have been injured,

it's just like so disgusting, all for what, to be like, well, I want the Philippines to be the center of Asia's film world. Like, what? Yeah, it's really, really monstrous. and the families of the victims protest in the streets because they want everyone to know the truth about how many men actually die. And even more critically,

they want the bodies to be recovered before construction resumes. But Amelda doesn't listen. And reportedly, some of the bodies are literally paved over as she orders new crews to finish the project on time. On opening night, Amelda dances with her friends, the actor is George Hamilton and Jeremy Irons.

She has multiple outfit changes and wears multi-million dollar marquees diamond earrings. This casual disregard for the lives and welfare of their people is nothing new for Amelda and Ferdinand. By now, it's been nine years since they declared martial law.

And even though it's technically not in effect, life is not normal for people in the Philippines. The regime's been throwing people in jail and torturing and murdering civilians left and right. An estimated 34,000 student leaders, politicians, trade unionists, and writers were tortured. Over 3,000 people were killed and had their bodies dumped in public places. And nearly 400 were simply disappeared. Meanwhile, the World Bank quietly warns of a $2 billion deficit in the Philippines.

The peso has collapsed. Food is scarce, prices are high, and wages haven't budged in years. But for the first time, the poorest citizens start pushing back. In Manila slums, they literally start putting up barricades around their neighborhoods to keep Amelda and her beautification projects out. Amelda still believes in the power of image, but even she can feel that the tide is turning. And an old enemy is about to return

when she and Ferdinand thought they'd gotten rid of for good. It's August 1983, and Ni Noy Aquinoa Kino is on a point. plane back to the Philippines. He left his wife and kids in the U.S. where they're safe. But after hearing about the growing unrest in Manila, he's decided it's time to return home. He wants to fight alongside his people, for his people. He's also heard that Ferdinand is suffering from lupus, an autoimmune disease where the body starts attacking its own healthy organs.

So Ninoi wants to speak to him before it's too late. Ferdinand is a dictator, but Ninoi believes there's at least a chance that he can reason with him to restore democracy. But if Ferdinand dies and his extremist generals take over, it would likely spell the end of democracy in the Philippines. At this point, Ninoi knows his options and what is likely to happen. I don't know what else he could do because it's true if Ferdinand dies, someone else will take over and it won't be Ninoi.

But also, there is so much risk here for Ninoi himself, where it's getting increasingly dangerous to be as possible. popular and defiant as he is, right? Yeah, Ninoi knows he's probably signing his own death certificate. Just three months earlier, when Amelda had been on one of her New York shopping trips, she offered him a $1 million bribe to stay in the States. When he turned it down, she warned Ninoi of assassination plots against him, but he decided he's willing to take that risk.

Now, there are journalists on the plane with him, documenting his mission. He tells them to have their cameras up and ready, because the action can come fast. Here he is on ABC News, speaking to reporters. If it's my fate to die by an assassin's bullet, so be it. But I cannot be petrified by inaction or fear of assassination, and therefore stay in a corner. I have to suffer with my people.

I have to lead them because of the responsibility given to me by our people. The plane lands at Manila Airport, and Yenoise is a quick prayer. His supporters are outside, and so are the Marco. as soldiers. The uniformed men board the plane and arrest Ninoi instantly.

They escort him onto the tarmac, where a military vehicle waits, presumably to take him to prison. But before he ever makes it to the car, gunshots are fired. It's not clear from where or by whom. But by the time the firing stops, Ninoi is dead. To this day, we don't know who ordered Ninoi's assassination. In the immediate aftermath, many Philippines. Filipinos speculate that it was, in fact, Amelda.

They say she conspired with a top general when Ferdinand was too sick to give the order. Later investigations conclude that it was a plot by the military, but Amelda played no part in it. Either way, Ninoi's death does what he couldn't do in life. It lights a fire amongst members of the opposition. There was social unrest before, but now it's in an all-time high. The people are angry, and they're coming for the Marcos's. On Boxing Day 2018, 20-year-old Joy Morgan was last seen at her church, Israel United in Christ, or IUIC. I just went on my Snapchat and I just see her face plastered everywhere.

This is the missing sister, the true story of a woman betrayed by those she trusted most. IUIC is my family and the best family that I've ever had. But IUC isn't, like most churches. This is a devilish cult. You know when you get that feeling, man, you just, I don't want to be here. I want to get out. It's like that feeling of, like, I want to go hang out. I'm Charlie Brent Coast cuff, and after years of investigating Joy's case,

I need to know what really happened to Joy. Binge all episodes of The Missing Sister exclusively an ad-free right now on Wondery Plus. Start your free trial of Wondery Plus. on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or in the Wonderry app. Hi, I'm Denise Chan, host of Scam Factory. You might remember hearing about our investigative series that exposed what's really happening behind those suspicious texts you get. Inside heavily guarded compounds across Asia,

thousands are trapped and forced to scam others or risk torture. One of our most powerful stories was Jellas, a young woman who thought she'd found her dream job, only to end up imprisoned in a scam compound. Her escape story caught the attention of criminals Phoebe Judge, and am honored to share more details of Jella's journey with their audience. But Jella's story is just one piece of this investigation. In Scam Factory, we reveal how a billion-dollar criminal empire turns job seekers into prisoners and how the only way out is to scam your way out.

Ready to uncover the full story? Binge all episodes of Scam Factory now. Listen to Scam Factory on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. It's November in 1985, a little over two years since Ni Noyes' assassination. And Ferdinand makes a surprising move. He goes on American television

and announces that he's holding a presidential election in February. The Philippines hasn't had an election since Ferdinand declared martial law 13 years ago. So this is huge. He says it's to dispel any doubts about his regime's legitimacy and authority.

According to Ferdinand, the people want him in office, and he's going to prove it. He might be a dictator, but he doesn't want to be seen as a dictator. But the election is all for show. With only three months to prepare, he's not giving the opposition much of a chance.

And he isn't expecting a strong opponent from the other side. Ninoi is dead, and no one's quite filled his shoes. But then, the people rally behind someone unexpected, Ninoi's widow, Corazon Aquino. Corey, as she's known, is 52, often sporting aviator eyeglasses and dressed in yellow, the color of the anti-Marcos movement.

At first, she doesn't want to run. She's never been involved in politics herself, but one million Filipinos sign a petition encouraging her to take up the mantle. So she does. In December 1985, she announces her candidacy in a speech preserved

by the Associated Press. Recalling once more, Ni Noi's words, I will never be able to forgive myself if I will have to live with the knowledge that I could have done something and I did not do anything. And with a thought

that I can make even just a modest contribution to the restoration of a sense of hope to our troubled land. I hereby affirm my candidacy. Wow, a part of me would be like, maybe it should be someone else. This woman has been through a lot, and clearly, you know, she's also a target. But also, it must take a lot of bravery to be able to even make this speech for your people. Yeah, she seems really noble and brave, and Ferdinand can't have that. He and Corey immediately start trading barbs in the media.

He criticizes her for being a woman and even has the audacity to say that her place is in the bedroom. In response, Corey calls Ferdinand out for his hypocrisy because everyone knows his wife, Amelda, is running the show. Corey eggs him on saying, quote, may the better woman win. Ferdinand then criticizes Corey's lack of experience. She responds sarcastically that, yes, she has, quote, no experience in cheating, lying to the public, stealing government money, and killing political opponents. Oof, bars.

Damn, that is a bar and, man, she's awesome for that. Yeah, it's pretty good. So Ferdinand, once again, turns to Imelda to help persuade the public. She criticizes Corey for not. wearing makeup or having her fingernails manicured. Emelda says, quote, all Filipinos who like beauty, love, and God are for Marcos. But the Marcos'es aren't as popular as they were the last go-around.

By the time February arrives, Corey has a ton of support, probably more than Ferdinand. But we'll never know because Ferdinand reportedly tamperes with the vote count and declares victory. Corey fights back, claiming she won and the election was rigged. and her supporters pour into the streets in protest. Ferdinand hoped the campaign would prove that the people of the Philippines still adore him and Amelda.

Instead, it just reminded them of how corrupt the Marcos'es had become. And after years of being ripped off, the Filipino people are finally ready to take their protest all the way to the presidential palace itself. On February 25, 1986, crowds surround the presidential palace with the Marcos family inside. It's been three days since protests first broke out after the fraudulent election,

but tonight they've reached a new level. The protesters have almost broken through the gates, security has fled, and there's nowhere for Amelda and her family to go. This might finally be the end for the Marcos family. Ferdinand has been on the phone with the U.S. all night, pleading with Reagan aides to be allowed to stay in power, even in an honorary role.

But they tell him no, and that they'll only offer him safe haven if he resigns, peacefully. Amelda calls the U.S. Embassy to plan their escape. She, Ferdinand, and their kids gather their most precious belongings and cram into a helicopter, fleeing the Philippines for Hawaii. They leave behind a palace in chaos, uneaten caviar on the dining table, documents half shredded, and luxury items strewn about. Protesters flood inside to see the couple's extravagance for themselves, and what they find is extreme. A multi-million-dollar jewelry collection, secret records of offshore bank accounts

and more than a thousand pairs of Amelda's shoes. Although news of this line item will get exaggerated. The number most people remember now is 3,000 shoes. Oh my God. I mean, what's a couple more thousand? Would I be counting? I don't know. Would I be taking?

For the same size, yeah. Oh, yeah. You should be so lucky. Well, the chopper out of the Philippines may have saved the Marcos' lives, but it also exposed their crimes. Customs records show the Marcos's brought $15 million worth of assets with them to Hawaii. Jewelry, gold bars, designer clothes, and suitcases stuffed with freshly printed Philippine pesos.

And this was just a fraction of their true fortune. In the years to come, investigators estimate that Ferdinand, Emelda, and their cronies stole upwards of $10 billion from the Philippine people. Given Ferdinand's modest presidential salary of $13,500 a year, The Marcos' wealth stood in stark contrast to most Filipino people's reality. The truth was impossible to ignore, particularly in a country where nearly half the population was scraping by on less than $2 a day.

The fall of the Marcos' isn't just the collapse of a dictatorship. It's the unmasking of one of the most audacious heists in history. But it'll take years and multiple investigations to unspool the web Imelda and Ferdinand spun. In the meantime, no amount of evidence or public shaming will stop Amelda from playing the victim to get what she wants. After the Marcos's fleet, the people of the Philippines named Cory Aquino as the rightful winner of the election, and she steps into power as the new president. She wastes no time confronting the scale of corruption left behind.

Her very first executive order creates the Presidential Commission on Good Government or the PCG. The agency has one mission, to recover the billions that Amelda, Ferdinand, and their inner circle stole from the Filipino people. For the first time in 14 years, Filipino newspapers are free to publish information about the Marcos' grift. When Corey learns that the Marcos' fled to Hawaii with stolen money, she makes her second executive order. She freezes all of the Marcos' assets in the Philippines,

and she does the same to 32 of their known associates. While the world fixates on Imelda Shoe collection, the PCG digs into her and Ferdinand's hidden bank accounts, shell companies, and vast global web of stolen assets. They find evidence that Ferdinand took more than $2 million from Manila airport funds to use in his re-election campaign. There are also rumors that Ferdinand planned on spending more than $60 million on upcoming U.S. Republican campaigns

to curry favor with the Reagan administration. But the PCG knows that bringing criminal or civil charges against the former first couple won't be easy. Ferdinand and Amelda intentionally made their theft complex and hard to understand. The PCG finds it almost impossible to entangle what were legitimate investments and what was fraud. This is so insane for Corey. Her husband dies. She takes on this dictator. Now she's a leader.

and this is the mess she's left with. Yeah, she has a lot of really hard work ahead of her. But with the help from a few former loyalists, investigators begin to uncover the true scale of the Marcos' empire. Meanwhile, Amelda and Ferdinand can only watch from Hawaii as their adversaries try to take them down. The couple's Swiss accounts are frozen, and they suddenly have no access to their money.

Court cases soon follow. And in December, 1986, the Philippine government files an $850 million lawsuit against Ferdinand and Amelda, plus 10 of their business associates. They claim the Marcos's used stolen funds to buy $350 million of prime New York real estate. And the PCG wants the U.S. courts to declare the Philippine government the rightful owner of the properties. The PCGG is hot on the trail, and soon the chase will land Amelda in a Manhattan courtroom. It seems like the time has come for Ferdinand and Amelda

to face consequences for their actions. But fate has other plans. It's October 1988 in Manhattan, and Amelda steps out of a limousine in front of New York's federal courthouse. She's wearing a floor-length turquoise traditional Philippine dress. News reporters crowd the car, protesters shout thief into Gallag. And a photographer yells,

Hey, Amelda, let's see your shoes. Amelda ignores him, but. halfway up the courthouse steps, she turns and waves to the cameras. Amelda is in New York for an arraignment hearing. She and Ferdinand faced charges of racketeering, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and mail fraud. They're accused of looting more than $200 million from the Philippine Treasury and funneling it into art, jewels, and Manhattan real estate. Ferdinand is too sick to appear in court, so his hearing is postponed.

Amelda has to answer for their alleged crimes without him. Of course, she thinks this is all ridiculous. Can you read what she tells Time magazine? Sure, she says, shoes, frivolity, Marie Antoinette. In the Philippines, I built houses for 30,000 slum dwellers. I planted 80 million trees around Manila, and they only talk about the shoes. To me, I'm like, I don't really care if she even did those good things, because she spent most of her time being pretty evil.

Like, evil people are capable of doing a couple of good tasks. you know, like, who cares? That is what people will talk about because the shoes are crazy. Yeah, and that seems newsworthy. But as much as Amelda proclaims her innocence, she still has to defend herself. And with no fortune at her disposal, she turns to an unlikely source for help. Her friend, Tobacco heiress, Doris Duke, who posts Amelda's $5 million bail. Less than a year later, in September 1989, Ferdin dies in Hawaii at 72 years old. His death changes everything for the trial. He was the main target of the investigation.

Amelda was more of a co-conspirator. The prosecution had strong evidence against Ferdinand, including documents and witnesses ready to testify about his bribes and kickbacks. But their case against Imelda was weaker. They could show that she most likely knew that the money was from corrupt sources, but their evidence against her is circumstantial.

There are also rumors that the U.S. government is telling prosecutors to take it, easy on amelda. They don't want to embarrass the last five presidents who all supported the Marcos regime. I totally get that because the U.S. doesn't want to be implicated in anything, right? I mean, would you want to be implicated after all of that? I'd be like, I'd like she probably didn't do anything that bad. Well, Amelda describes the trial as political persecution. In July 1990, after a 10-week, high-profile trial, the jury makes a decision. Amelda clutches her rosary beads and stares at the ceiling as the verdict is read out,

not guilty. On all counts, she weeps with joy as supporters in the gallery cheer. The jurors couldn't be sure of Amelda's guilt. It's possible she had no idea what her husband was doing. And some of them felt like the case should have been tried in the Philippines instead of New York. They didn't live under the Marcos regime, and they didn't think it was their place to judge. After her acquittal, Amelda goes to St. Patrick's. Patrick's Cathedral, and walks down the aisle on her knees as a sign of devotion.

Later that night, she celebrates at a fancy restaurant, eating lamb while a belly dancer performs. But Imelda's victory in court is only the beginning. She's not content with survival. She's ready for a comeback. And now, she's setting her sights on returning to the Philippines and reclaiming power for the Marcos' name. It's your man, Nick Cannon, and I'm here to bring you my new podcast, Nick Cannon at night. I've heard y'all been needing some advice in the love department. So who better to help than yours truly?

Now, I'm serious. Every week, I'm bringing out some of my celebrity friends and the best experts in the business to answer your most intimate relationship questions. Having problems with your man, we got you. Catching feelings for your sneaky link? Let's make sure it's the real deal first. Ready to bring toys into the bedroom? Let's talk about it.

Consider this a non-judgment zone to ask your questions when it comes to sex and modern dating and relationships, friendships, friendships, situationships, and everything in between. It's going to be sexy, freaky, messy, and you know what? You'll just have to watch this show. So don't be shy. Join the conversation and head over to YouTube to watch Nick Cannon at night or subscribe on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast. Want to watch episodes early and ad-free? Join Wondery Plus right now. In November 1974, IRA bombs ripped through two Birmingham pubs killing 21 innocent people.

Hundreds more were injured. It was the worst attack on British soil since the Second World War. When a crime this appalling and shocking happens, you want the police to act quickly. And boy, did they. The very next day, they had six men in custody. Confessions followed and the men were sent down for life. Good riddance, you might think, except those men were innocent. Join me Matt Ford

And me, Alice Levine For the latest series of British scandal All About the Birmingham Six It's the story of how a terrible tragedy morphed into a travesty of justice And how one man couldn't rest Until he'd exposed the truth Follow British Scandal now

Wherever you listen to podcasts And binge entire series early and ad-free on Wondery Plus Now I feel like a legend. In 1991, after five years of exile in Hawaii, Amelda decides it's time to return to the Philippines. It's a dangerous decision. Corey is still president and has made it clear that if Amelda returns,

she'll face justice for embezzling public funds. But Imelda goes anyway. She sees a window of opportunity to seize power again, and she wants to take it. She tells the world that she's going home so she can bury Ferdinand in the Philippine Heroes Cemetery, as was custom for former presidents. She leans into the role of grieving widow

who simply wants to honor her husband. When she lands at Manila Airport in November 1991, supporters welcome her with open arms. Not much has changed in the Philippines under court. Marie's rule. Yes, there's freedom of the press, and a constitutional democracy is back in place. But Corey's become more of a figurehead. She doesn't seem to enjoy the political fighting needed to make real change. And in the absence of strong leadership, the economy is failing. There's still corruption in the government, and the daily lives of poor Filipinos are more or less

the same. Some Filipinos long for the days of the Marcos' when at least the price of coconuts, one of the region's biggest exports, was higher. So when Amelda returns, there's excitement. There's a picture of her being welcomed in Ferdinand's hometown. Oh my God. It's iconic. She's in a bus. She's leaning out of the front window, her arms up,

and she's like, I guess, waving a handkerchief. And there are people to the side who are, like, screaming for her. Well, beside her is, like, these two guys on a motorbike. You could tell it's really her return. and also it's perfect circumstances for her to come back. People's memories can be so terrible, right? People's memories are short, and she is very glamorous, Sarah. Amelda sidesteps accountability for her actions

by shifting the spotlight to her family's grief. She seems even more sympathetic when Corey denies her request to bury Ferdinand in the National Cemetery. Corey makes it clear that Ferdinand Marcos is no hero, and Amelda won't walk away unpunished. Corey makes sure that Amelda faces prosecution. In 1993, a jury of Filipinos convicts Amelda of criminal corruption.

But she doesn't seem too phased by it. She appeals the decision, all the while shoring up support for the Marco Smith. She actually gets elected as a congresswoman in Late, an island south of Manila. It's a truly baffling full-circle moment. Even after Amelda has done so much wrong, people still seem to trust that she'll do right by them.

And then, sure enough, the Philippine Supreme Court overturns her guilty verdict, saying that the original court had committed due process errors. Stop. Are you kidding me? Yeah, man. It's just like nothing happened at all? Oh, my God. Yeah, it's like it didn't even matter.

And for the next two decades, Amelda spearheads a political revival that, astonishingly, puts the Marcos' back at the center of Filipino life. She serves as a politician herself, and her daughter is elected governor of a province in Northern Philippines. Her son, Bongbong, has even bigger aspirations. He believes Ferdinand was a great president and wants to emulate him.

Bongbong runs successfully for governor, representative, and Senate. In 2016, he loses his campaign for vice president, but Imelda is not dissuaded. In 2018, Amelda is finally convicted of seven counts of graft, basically political corruption. In her case, it was for creating fake companies and foundations

to hide the money that she and Ferdinand had stolen from the government. But at 89, the courts decide she's too old to go to prison. So once again, Amelda escapes real punishment. And yet, despite scandal, exile, and conviction, the Marcos family is back in the halls of power. The question is no longer if they'll return, but how far they can go. It's May 2022, and Bongbong is throwing a victory party.

He's 64 at this point and finally running for president. Amelda's most likely at the celebration too. It's in a plain, nondescript room, with fairy lights strung across the crackling tiled ceilings that you'd find in a classroom. If you didn't know better, you'd think Bongbong was a very humble guy. But there are multiple billionaires in the room,

and they're presumably counting on Bongbong's presidency to benefit themselves. Bongbong's actually getting a little ahead of himself here. He hasn't technically won yet, but he knows he will. The daughter of current president Rodrigo Duterte is running as Bongbong's VP, giving them an implicit endorsement from the sitting president. The Marcos's and the Dutertes have a lot in common. Duterte is a populist leader, often called the Donald Trump of the East.

He's popular, but rash, offensive, and deadly. While in office, he ran a brutal war on drugs where he encouraged citizens and police alike to murder suspected drug dealers and users. The death toll from these orders is hard to pin down, but it's somewhere between 6,000 and 27,000. In 2025, Duterte would be arrested for crimes against humanity stemming from this campaign.

But in this election, the Marcos' aren't leaning into Ferdinand's history as a dictator. In fact, they're whitewashing his presidency. In online campaigns, narratives are getting pushed that are blatantly false, like the idea that there were no arrests made under Ferdinand's martial law, or that the Marcos's never faced lawsuits. There are also rumors that the Marcoses have huge stashes of gold that they're going to give to Filipinos if Bongbong wins.

This is so depressing. This is deeply, deeply depressing, and I can't believe we're basically almost that present. Yeah, we basically are. And Sarah, the whole undertaking works. Bongbong ends up getting 58% of the vote, a margin of victory that hasn't been seen in the Philippines since his father's regime. To critics, it raises uncomfortable questions about misinformation, about how history is remembered,

and even about the integrity of the election itself. Despite all the horrors that Amelda and her late husband inflicted on the Philippine people, it seems like enough of them are ready to forgive and forget. With Bongbong's election, the Marcos's have secured a new legacy for their family and the Marcos name. Bongbong idolizes his late father, and now, as president, he's about to follow in his footsteps. As of 2025, the PCGG is still fighting to recover the money the Marcos has stole from the Philippines. To date, they've only recovered about $3.4 billion of the estimated $10 billion. Bong Bang Bang Marcos is still president of the Philippines and will continue to serve until

28 and his mother, Amelda, is right there by his side. And Ferdinand did finally get his burial in his home country, thanks to President Duterte. The Marcos's were and continue to be an example of opulence built on the backs of ordinary people. And no one embodied this more than Amelda. She claimed to value love and beauty above all else, even once calling herself the mother of the Philippines. But she never truly saw her people. Maybe she would have found some empathy

if she'd stepped into their shoes. But with a thousand pairs of her own, she never bothered to try on anyone else's. Haggy, Sarah Haggy. Does this episode make you want to do political crime? Please discuss. It really is kind of insane when the scammer wins.

She was always going to have to be. have a mark on the world. I think she was clearly very driven, very smart. It's just very interesting to see someone use that, like, exclusively for harm. Not a lot of redeeming qualities from Imelda. The thing that I keep thinking about a lot with this case is like the depth of greed. The amount of money they stole is an impressive amount of money in an American context. But that is a crazy amount of money from a really small country that has a really poor population and not a huge GDP. Like, at a certain point, like, what could you fucking buy for $10 billion? Relax. It really is just greed in its purest form where, like, nothing matters at all. Therefore,

why not just go all the way? It's a bottomless pit at that point. And people don't matter. And it's so sick. Money is so sick and evil. Ultimate Nepo Baby's story. It really is, stuff like this really makes you think about why people trust dynasties and, like, legacies. Just because one person did it means you're going to trust the other people who just happened to be born around them or, you know what I mean? I don't really think of someone having a father or coming from a political family to mean anything significant. If anything, it's like, no, give me someone who's actually lived in reality. How about that? I guess it is really a testament to how much name recognition works for voters. People really will vote based off of like who they

know and who they recognize. I mean, the Kennedys are a great example. example of that. Like there are some reasonable Kennedys and some kind of centrist not reasonable Kennedys. And then there's RFK Fucking Jr. who's like, my brain is full of worms. Like, yeah. It really, you get a lot of clout from having a name that

people can recognize. It's not surprising that that would happen in a country like the Philippines, which is kind of small. I don't know. It is really isn't something that I see as appealing, but it kind of ruins the world. Like, this is one of the stories that makes you think about like privilege and access.

in a way where you're like, wow, this is really the worst-case scenario for that. Yeah. Ferdinand is clearly the person responsible for a lot of this crime, right? But obviously because Amelda's a woman and because her purchasing is, like, much more interesting, she kind of becomes the, like, icon for what happened here. But do you hold her as responsible as you would hold her husband? Yeah, for sure. This isn't, like, some type of woman in the background.

Like, she orchestrated this as well. It was by her design. It was encouraged by her as well. They were very much a team, it seems. It's also crazy thinking about her origins, how she was raised. Didn't grow up with money. She was poor and everything

and how easily that is forgotten. And, yeah, I mean, she's just not a victim at all. I feel like Amelda Marcos would have really fit quite well on like a real housewise franchise. This is so Erica Jane. This is so Jen Shaw. Can't you imagine Amelda trying to defend herself

and then taking in a deep breath and being like, Bongbong's car flipped over when he was driving. Yeah. It's like, you know, she clearly wanted fame and power by any means necessary,

and I wish there should just be like a system people can be put into if they want to be famous, no matter what. Like a jail, but not a jail, like a caged in enclosure, which is BravoCon, what I'm describing as BravoCon.

Yeah. What if we put them all in a conference room in Vegas for like a couple of weeks, let them dry out? And they just get attention. that they want. Yeah, and then maybe they won't do fraud. I think the lesson is that there are evil people everywhere.

There are evil women everywhere. And we may as well reward them in places where it's safe, which is why I am going to watch four hours of Bravo when I get home until my eyes bleed, because that feels like a less morally repugnant way for me to reward some of the worst personalities on the face of the earth. Speak on that, yes. You know, thank you for saying that because, like, I do think there are, are lesser evils that stop us from bigger evils.

And I think maybe Bravo is one of them. I'm good with the lesser evil. Take the lesser evil, everybody. Like, who knows how much worse it could get? It's, in a sense, harm reduction, really. Yeah, I don't need to know what Luann is like if given real power. Keep her in cabaret. I don't need to know what Ramona Singer could have done.

Ramona Singer on a super pack? No need. Keep her on the show. Women belong on the television. Not in the bedroom. Loving scam influencers, get exclusive episodes and early access to new ones all ad-free on Wondry Plus. Join now in the Wendry app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Before you go, help us out by taking a quick survey at Wendry.com slash survey.

This is Amelda Marcos, the first lady of excess, part two. I'm Sachi Cole. And I'm Sarah Haggy. If you have a tip for us on a story that you think we should cover, please email us at scamfluencers atwondery.com. We use many sources in our research. A few that were particularly helpful were the rise and fall of Imelda Marcos by Carmen Navarra Pedrosa, waltzing with a dictator, The Marcos' and the Making of American Policy by Raymond Bonner, and Lauren Greenfield's documentary, The King Maker. Alex Burns wrote this episode. Additional writing by us, Sachi Cole and Sarah Haggy. Olivia Briley is our story editor.

Fact-checking by Gabrielle Droulet. Sound design by James Morgan. Additional audio assistance provided by Augustine Lim. Our music supervisor is Scott Velasquez for Frieson Sink. Our managing producer is Desi Blaylock. Our senior managing producer is Callum Pluse. Janine Cornelow and Stephanie Jens are development producers. Our associate producer is Charlotte Miller.

Our producer is Julie Magruder. Our senior producers are Sarah Annie and Ginny Bloom. Our executive producers are Jenny Lauer Beckman, Marshall Louie, and Aaron O'Flaherty for Wondry.