IN A LEAGUE OF HER OWN

Speaking out or just outspoken: Tatler unlocks Louise "Liza" Araneta-Marcos, the wife of the 17th President of the Philippines

- Philip Cu Unjieng

Let’s be honest: when it comes to public figures, we like to feel like we’re in the know, parsing what little tidbits or gossip we hear from so-called reliable sources, and feeling like we have some control over the narrative. When we weigh in on the partners of these luminaries, the fact that there’s less to go on makes our ‘learned’ views take on an even more sotto voce aspect!

Pundits have long commented on political leaders as part of their beat; and just reflect on the media coverage of their partners such as Michelle Obama, Melania Trump and Brigitte Macron. Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos can now count herself among their numbers, as she’s inescapably visible alongside President Bong Bong Marcos during his official functions and state visits. Since assuming the role of first lady in June of 2022, she’s kept relatively quiet. Yet, depending on one’s political persuasion, there’s a maelstrom of contradicting impressions and opinions about what makes her tick. Ironically, this includes how outspoken she is, and her purported shadow role in the current administration. And that’s just the tip of the chatter iceberg when it comes to Liza.

Full disclosure: I’ve been a friend of our president since the early Seventies; some of my years in England doing my A Levels and studying at university, intersected with his stay there. In the early Eighties, I enrolled at the Ateneo Law School, and Liza was among my classmates. I recall how she was super-friendly and engaging, became the crush of several classmates, and a darling of the faculty. (So yes, it’s likely that I had made Liza’s acquaintance before Bong even knew she existed.)