Former first lady Imelda Marcos, five weeks after her return from exile to face charges of massive corruption and fraud, said Wednesday she may run for the Philippine presidency.

Speaking to reporters after a national convention of grass-roots leaders, Marcos said she wanted to unify the country's political parties and would keep her political options open."Now there is so much confusion and so much is at stake," she said. "I am now considering all options for the survival of the Filipino people."

Asked if she would run for president in national elections set for May, she said, "Everything is now open. I have not yet made a decision but definitely now I am opening all options."

It was the first time the widow of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos publicly said she might run for public office.

She pledged she had no political ambitions when she returned Nov. 4 from nearly six years of U.S. exile but immediately began barnstorming the country, holding campaignlike rallies and distributing her picture to throngs of supporters.

She wore blue and red Wednesday - the campaign colors of her husband's former party - and called for national unity in an earlier address to community leaders.

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Marcos, 62, told reporters she began considering running for office after "going through the different parts of the country and seeing the depression of the people."

Her comments came as the ruling party dealt with a dispute about its presidential nominee and the main opposition party lay in shambles.

The Marcos name carries a lot of weight in several areas of the country, especially Ferdinand Marcos' home province of Ilocos Norte.

Political commentators had earlier said Marcos' widow lacked enough support to be a serious contender and would probably end up using her influence and money to back a candidate.

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