Senator Imee Marcos said the support of her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., remains despite her refusal to be included in the administration slate in the 2025 national and local elections.

"My brother (President Marcos) told me it's okay for me to not join them. He will still support me. We don't need to bicker. We don't need to fight," said Marcos, running under the Nacionalista Party, after filing her certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections on Wednesday,

Also filing their certificates of candidacies for senator were Senator Lito Lapid and ex-lawmakers Tito Sotto and Panfilo Lacson Jr.

Lacson and Sotto ran president and vice president in the 2022 national elections.

They both said the long break energized them.

Lacson said he wants to continue his previous role to watch the national budget and to refuse pork barrel allocations.

Asked if she will seek the support of her ally, Vice President Sara Duterte, Marcos said there have been no such discussions yet.

Accompanying her was former First Lady Imelda Marcos, whom Imee says was very excited. She barely slept the night before and was up early to join her, the senator said. DMS