THE PRESIDENT’S youngest son is “working as an intern” at the House leader’s office, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez confirmed on Monday in a statement.
William Vincent A. Marcos has been undergoing training on the legislative process since Jan. 23, said Mr. Romualdez, a first cousin of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
“He will be mentored on the daily grind at the House of Representatives, including the role and interaction of various committees and departments on the legislative processes, as well as strategies to help expedite the passage of vital bills and other measures for the benefit of the Filipino people,” Mr. Romualdez said.
Sought for comment, the Speaker has yet to give a response on whether the training is part of an internship program offered by his office to undergraduate or newly-graduated students who are typically required to undergo professional exposure related to their courses.
The 25-year-old Marcos, a software engineer, graduated from Oxford Brookes University in England.
Mr. Romualdez, according to the statement, “is expected” to supervise his nephew’s training.
He previously mentored the president’s eldest, Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos, who is now a representative of Ilocos Norte and elected Senior Deputy Majority Leader in the current Congress.
Last week, the Facebook page of House Minority Leader Marcelino C. Libanan showed photos of the youngest Marcos being introduced as a “Special Assistant to the Speaker” during the Minority Bloc’s first meeting for the year.
The young Marcos is the latest member in the clan to have a position in public office. Other than his father being the president, his uncle is the House Speaker, and his older brother is a congressman. His aunt, presidential sister Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos, is a senator.
Mr. Romualdez’s wife, Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, is a party-list representative and head of the House committee on accounts. The president’s cousin, Jose Manuel D. Romualdez, is the Philippines’ ambassador to the United States.
The young Marcos’ grandmother, Imelda R. Marcos, was also a representative of Ilocos Norte. His grandfather, Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., was a former president and dictator ousted in February 1986. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
