By Andrew Leavold
Covering the sides of the two-story building were huge Photoshopped charts outlining Imelda’s fascination with mysticism, the Philippines as the cosmic centre of the world, and the Marcos’ role as the Pinoy Adam and Eve. “You can see we’re in the center of the world,” Imelda lectured, “and we’re in the center of the currents. This is the reason why Ferdinand Magellan landed here in the Philippines.” She even ordered one of her aides to strip off a branch so she could use it in her lecture to point out her favourite figures from history – Evita Peron, Colonel Gaddafi…
“I was cover of Newsweek, and the story was really Genghis Khan and Imelda Marcos and the list of History’s greediest. And they asked, are you greedy? And I said, ‘For the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, I plead guilty.’ ‘How do you like it when you’re compared with Genghis Khan?’ I said, ‘I’m a history major, he was one of the greatest conquerors of Mankind.’”
But all Dani and I saw was a sign pointing to the right: “MAUSOLEUM THIS WAY”. We looked at each other. “Surely not…”
Without warning we were being escorted into an enormous darkened concrete tomb, the only light illuminating a glass coffin containing the embalmed corpse of Ferdinand Marcos. Ferdinand passed away from multiple organ failure in Hawaii in 1989, only three years after People Power swept the Marcos family from Malacanang Palace, and after three decades his body is still on ice while Imelda petitions an unheeding Congress for a state funeral. From within the dinge, an unearthly Gregorian dirge battled the hum from the army of air-conditioners as we stood wordlessly for more than a minute staring at the waxen, refrigerated ex-President.
Without warning Imelda motioned for her aides to grip her under each arm, and was helped over the rows of funereal flowers to plant a lipstick rose on the side of Ferdinand’s glass box. I looked at Roy; Roy was behind his iPhone training the camera on the bizarre tableau, and his incredulous expression matched mine.
At that very moment Roy felt a tap on his shoulder. “Stop taking photos!” Imelda’s aide ordered.
“Not a problem,” said Roy in low, reverential tone, “I think we have all we need.”
The Sydney launch of The Search for Weng Weng – The Book, plus a special screening of the documentary and a Q&A with Andrew Leavold, is taking place at 7pm, Wednesday 5th April, 2017 at the Ritz Cinema, Randwick (NSW). Get your tickets here.
Brilliant as ever. Can’t wait to read the full book. The documentary was superb.