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| An audience with Imelda Marcos | An audience with Imelda Marcos |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| Kate McGeown BBC News, Philippines Imelda told voters she would "uphold political integrity and the truth" | Kate McGeown BBC News, Philippines Imelda told voters she would "uphold political integrity and the truth" |
| The former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos, will forever be associated with her vast collection of footwear, which for many, symbolised the grotesque excesses of the Marcos era. | The former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos, will forever be associated with her vast collection of footwear, which for many, symbolised the grotesque excesses of the Marcos era. |
| The shoes were abandoned when she was forced to flee the presidential palace with her husband, Ferdinand, in 1986 - but now she is back, having just won a seat in the Philippine Congress at the age of 80. | The shoes were abandoned when she was forced to flee the presidential palace with her husband, Ferdinand, in 1986 - but now she is back, having just won a seat in the Philippine Congress at the age of 80. |
| I went to her support-base in Illocos Norte, in the north of the Philippines, to meet her. | I went to her support-base in Illocos Norte, in the north of the Philippines, to meet her. |
| "Madame's ready," we were told, within five minutes of arriving at the hotel. | "Madame's ready," we were told, within five minutes of arriving at the hotel. |
| She might have been ready, but I wasn't - I'd just had a long, hot flight, and could have done with a wash or at least brushed my hair. | She might have been ready, but I wasn't - I'd just had a long, hot flight, and could have done with a wash or at least brushed my hair. |
| But what Imelda wants, Imelda gets. That had been instilled into me already over the phone. | But what Imelda wants, Imelda gets. That had been instilled into me already over the phone. |
| So we set off quickly down the corridor, and there she was - the trademark bouffant hair, the blue eye shadow, and shoulder-pads that wouldn't have looked out of place in a 1980s soap opera. | So we set off quickly down the corridor, and there she was - the trademark bouffant hair, the blue eye shadow, and shoulder-pads that wouldn't have looked out of place in a 1980s soap opera. |
| She was holding court in the corner of the hotel's restaurant, surrounded by a group of rather weary-looking Japanese reporters. | She was holding court in the corner of the hotel's restaurant, surrounded by a group of rather weary-looking Japanese reporters. |
| It was past 10pm, they'd been with her all day, and by the looks on their faces they hadn't been able to get a word in edgeways since at least before lunch. | It was past 10pm, they'd been with her all day, and by the looks on their faces they hadn't been able to get a word in edgeways since at least before lunch. |
| She spotted us. "Ah come and join in," she waved, and as quickly as that, we'd been welcomed into Imelda's special world. | She spotted us. "Ah come and join in," she waved, and as quickly as that, we'd been welcomed into Imelda's special world. |
| Violent dictator | Violent dictator |
| Strictly speaking, you can't really interview Imelda - you're granted an audience with her. That's because she doesn't really answer any questions, she just talks. | Strictly speaking, you can't really interview Imelda - you're granted an audience with her. That's because she doesn't really answer any questions, she just talks. |
| In fact, over the years Imelda has probably collected more anecdotes than she has shoes - and she's known for having had well over 1,000 pairs of those. | In fact, over the years Imelda has probably collected more anecdotes than she has shoes - and she's known for having had well over 1,000 pairs of those. |
| She's fully aware that her name is a byword for extravagance - in fact she even embraces it | She's fully aware that her name is a byword for extravagance - in fact she even embraces it |
| She told us she wanted a position in Congress to promote the good, the true and the beautiful. | She told us she wanted a position in Congress to promote the good, the true and the beautiful. |
| She wants to save the Philippines, and by extension, the world, with endless, selfless love. | She wants to save the Philippines, and by extension, the world, with endless, selfless love. |
| It's a mantra she repeated throughout our various conversations, but she also veered off course in some surprising directions. | It's a mantra she repeated throughout our various conversations, but she also veered off course in some surprising directions. |
| I'm not sure, for instance, how we got on to the topic of Fidel Castro acting as her chauffeur - or how we moved seamlessly on to her view that she helped end the Cold War because China's Chairman Mao kissed her hand. | I'm not sure, for instance, how we got on to the topic of Fidel Castro acting as her chauffeur - or how we moved seamlessly on to her view that she helped end the Cold War because China's Chairman Mao kissed her hand. |
| She also mentioned how her friend Saddam Hussein was misunderstood... | She also mentioned how her friend Saddam Hussein was misunderstood... |
| In fact, her stories sometimes sound like a roll call of the world's most infamous men - Kim Il-sung of North Korea, Burma's Ne Win, Libya's Colonel Gaddafi and American President Richard Nixon. | In fact, her stories sometimes sound like a roll call of the world's most infamous men - Kim Il-sung of North Korea, Burma's Ne Win, Libya's Colonel Gaddafi and American President Richard Nixon. |
| But the central man in her life was her husband Ferdinand, who died in 1989, just three years after being ousted from office. | But the central man in her life was her husband Ferdinand, who died in 1989, just three years after being ousted from office. |
| According to most history books, he was a violent dictator who ruled for nearly two decades while amassing a private fortune. | According to most history books, he was a violent dictator who ruled for nearly two decades while amassing a private fortune. |
| Imelda has a different view - she thinks he was the best thing that ever happened to the Philippines. Her shoes and jewellery, she insists, were bought with his personal investments - and besides, they were beautiful, and beauty is important. | Imelda has a different view - she thinks he was the best thing that ever happened to the Philippines. Her shoes and jewellery, she insists, were bought with his personal investments - and besides, they were beautiful, and beauty is important. |
| Imeldaâs famous footwear collection is on display in Manila | Imeldaâs famous footwear collection is on display in Manila |
| She's fully aware that her name is a byword for extravagance - in fact she even embraces it. | She's fully aware that her name is a byword for extravagance - in fact she even embraces it. |
| "Come and look", she said excitedly the following morning, opening a folder full of press cuttings. She pointed to a photograph of an advertising hoarding in New York, promoting a shoe sale. "There's a little Imelda in all of us," the notice reads. | "Come and look", she said excitedly the following morning, opening a folder full of press cuttings. She pointed to a photograph of an advertising hoarding in New York, promoting a shoe sale. "There's a little Imelda in all of us," the notice reads. |
| She's also kept a well-thumbed article that claims she's one of the greediest people who ever lived, along with Bernie Madoff, Charles Ponzi and Ghenghis Khan. | She's also kept a well-thumbed article that claims she's one of the greediest people who ever lived, along with Bernie Madoff, Charles Ponzi and Ghenghis Khan. |
| She's not entirely happy with the comparison, but she did concede she was greedy - greedy for the good, the true and the beautiful. | She's not entirely happy with the comparison, but she did concede she was greedy - greedy for the good, the true and the beautiful. |
| Rollercoaster ride | Rollercoaster ride |
| Imelda Marcos shows no sign of slowing down, despite her age. | Imelda Marcos shows no sign of slowing down, despite her age. |
| As well as her seat in Congress, she wants to support her son, who's just been voted into the Senate, and her daughter, who's a local governor. And then, of course, there's the small matter of saving the world with endless, selfless love. | As well as her seat in Congress, she wants to support her son, who's just been voted into the Senate, and her daughter, who's a local governor. And then, of course, there's the small matter of saving the world with endless, selfless love. |
| Imelda Marcos on beauty, love, power, greed and Chairman Mao | |
| She has one other priority - to bury her dead husband, who's lying in limbo in a mausoleum next to her house. | She has one other priority - to bury her dead husband, who's lying in limbo in a mausoleum next to her house. |
| She refuses to bury him anywhere but the National Heroes Cemetery, where other former leaders are interred, but successive presidents have said No. | She refuses to bury him anywhere but the National Heroes Cemetery, where other former leaders are interred, but successive presidents have said No. |
| She can't be holding out much hope that the man set to be the next president, Noynoy Aquino, will honour her request. | She can't be holding out much hope that the man set to be the next president, Noynoy Aquino, will honour her request. |
| There are suspicions that the Marcoses were behind the assassination of Noynoy's father Ninoy Aquino - and one of the first things the new president wants to do is find out why his father died. | There are suspicions that the Marcoses were behind the assassination of Noynoy's father Ninoy Aquino - and one of the first things the new president wants to do is find out why his father died. |
| So Imelda has her work cut out, but she's survived a lot worse. | So Imelda has her work cut out, but she's survived a lot worse. |
| Her life has already been a rollercoaster ride. She's been adored, hated and satirised, she's even had a musical written about her, but she has no intention of being consigned to the history books just yet. | Her life has already been a rollercoaster ride. She's been adored, hated and satirised, she's even had a musical written about her, but she has no intention of being consigned to the history books just yet. |
| Not long before we had to leave, she turned to me and said, "You know, not even your British Queen is called just Elizabeth - she's Elizabeth the Second. There's only one Imelda." Then she smiled a slightly mischievous little smile. | Not long before we had to leave, she turned to me and said, "You know, not even your British Queen is called just Elizabeth - she's Elizabeth the Second. There's only one Imelda." Then she smiled a slightly mischievous little smile. |
| How to listen to: From our own Correspondent | How to listen to: From our own Correspondent |
| Radio 4: Saturdays, 1130. Second weekly edition on Thursdays, 1100 (some weeks only) | Radio 4: Saturdays, 1130. Second weekly edition on Thursdays, 1100 (some weeks only) |
| World Service: See programme schedules | World Service: See programme schedules |
| Download the podcast | Download the podcast |
| Listen on iPlayer | Listen on iPlayer |
| Story by story at the programme website | Story by story at the programme website |
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