Who is Imelda Marcos from Dogeaters and what is their importance?

Imelda Marcos is one of two real historical figures in Dogeaters. She is the First Lady of the Philippines, the wife of Ferdinand Marcos. She models herself after Jackie Kennedy, making constant reference to her elegant clothes, humble beginnings, and former career as Miss Manila. She appears twice during the play. In her first appearance, she is being interviewed by Barbara Villanueva, where she denied ordering dying workers to be buried in cement for the foundation of her new film center. In the second scene, she is interviewed by the American journalist Bob Stone. In this interview, she tacitly denies ordering the murder of Senator Avila or the arrest of his daughter Daisy.