The Flight of the Iron Butterfly

by Averil N. Santos

2013-25246

"Iron Butterfly," that was the title given to the former First Lady Imelda Marcos. Why was she given that title? The reason is simple. On the surface, Imelda was glamorous and graceful; almost similar to a butterfly but underneath all that glitz and glamour, she possessed a cold and hard as steel attitude towards the well being of her people.

At the height of their power, Imelda Marcos became one of the richest women in the world in the 1970s. She is an avid collector of luxurious things; from clothes to jewelries. Who wouldn't forget her more than one thousand pair of shoes? Her lavish lifestyle was very well known in the Philippines and it was ironic how she and her husband were living this way while their country was suffering financially and politically. Perhaps her beauty and somewhat celebrity status overshadowed her behaviour and over-looker her illegally funded extravagant lifestyle. In the end, all these extravagance were somehow put to an end when they were toppled by the People Power Revolution in EDSA. After their overthrown, the couple ultimately fled to Hawaii leaving behind the Malacañang Palace which was reportedly containing mink coats, hundreds of gowns, handbags and her almost 3,400 pairs of shoes. She and her husband, the late Ferdinand Marcos, were accounted for being the two of the world's biggest thefts. 

"I have a different way of thinking. I think synergistically. I'm not linear in thinking, I'm not very logical." she said. Indeed, she had a very different way of viewing things. She is determined that she haven't done anything wrong. If you think about it, not all of Imelda's demeanors brought a negative impact to our country. If you look past her flaws and mistakes, you would soon realize that somehow her actions and behavior was beneficial. Though, it doesn't change the fact that she and her husband were still thieves.