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Ferdinand Marcos biography

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Quick Facts

NAME: Ferdinand Marcos OCCUPATION: Lawyer, Dictator BIRTH DATE: September 11, 1917 DEATH DATE: September 28, 1989 EDUCATION: University of the Philippines PLACE OF BIRTH: Sarrat, Philippines PLACE OF DEATH: Honolulu, Hawaii Full Name: Ferninand Edralin Marcos Full Name: Ferninand Marcos

Synopsis

A lawyer, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives (1949-1959) and a member of the Philippine Senate (1959-1965), Ferdinand Marcos became the president of the Philippines in 1966, a post he held until 1986, when his people rose against his dictatorial rule and he fled.

Early Life
Ferdinand Marcos went to school in Manila and later attended law school at the University of the Philippines. His father, Mariano Marcos, was a Filipino politician, and on September 20, 1935, the day after Julio Nalundasan defeated Mariano Marcos for a seat in the National Assembly (for the second time), Nalundasan was shot and killed in his home. Ferdinand, Mariano and Ferdinands brother and brother-in-law were tried for the assassination, and Ferdinand and his brother-in-law were found guilty of the murder. Ferdinand argued their case on appeal to the Philippine Supreme Court and won acquittal a year later. Remarkably, while Marcos was preparing his case, he was studying for the bar exam and became a trial lawyer in Manila subsequent to the acquittal.

Entering Politics
During World War II, Ferdinand Marcos served as an officer with the Philippine armed forces, later claiming that he had been a leader in the Filipino guerrilla resistance movement. These claims were a principal element in his subsequent political success, but it was revealed in U.S. government archives that he actually played little or no part in anti-Japanese activities during World War II. At the end of the war, when the American government granted the Philippines independence on July 4, 1946, the Philippine Congress was created. Marcos ran and was twice elected as representative to his district and served from 1949 to 1959. In 1959, Marcos took a seat in the Philippine Senate, a position he would hold until he ran for and won the presidency in 1965.

Ascension to the Presidency

After failing to attain the Liberal Partys nomination for president, Ferdinand Marcos ran as the Nationalist Party candidate. At the end of the expensive and bitter campaign, Marcos prevailed and was inaugurated on December 30, 1965. His first presidential term is notable mostly for his decision to send troops into the fray of the Vietnam War, a move he had previously opposed as a Philippine senator. Marcos was reelected in 1969, becoming the first Filipino president to serve a second term. Massive crowd violence, vote buying and fraud on Marcos part, however, were prominent traits of his second campaign, which was funded with $56 million from the Philippine treasury. What arose from the campaign unrest became known as the First Quarter Storm, during which leftists took to the streets to demonstrate against both American involvement in Philippine affairs and the increasingly apparent dictatorial style of Ferdinand Marcos.

State of the Regime and Downfall

Ferdinand Marcos' wife, Imelda, became a powerful figure after martial law was decreed in 1972, often appointing her relatives to lucrative governmental and industrial positions (while accumulating upward of 1,000 pairs of shoes and several Manhattan skyscrapers). These acts were akin to Marcos state-imposed "crony capitalism," by which private businesses were seized by the government and handed over to friends and relatives of regime members. Indicative of the entire Marcos administration, these acts would eventually lead to economic troubles for the Philippines and further civil unrest. Marcos' later years in power were marred by widespread government corruption (which turned out to be the central legacy of his regime), economic stagnation, a widening economic gap between the rich and poor and the growth of a communist guerrilla uprising. By the early 1980s, change was coming to the Philippines. To this end, on August 21, 1983, Benigno Aquino Jr. returned from his long exile to offer the Philippine people a new face of hope. Unfortunately, he was shot dead by his military escort as he stepped off the plane in Manila. The assassination was seen as the work of the government and ignited massive countrywide protests. An independent commission appointed by Marcos concluded a year later that high military officers were responsible for Aquino's assassination, although it has since been suggested that Marcos or even his wife had ordered the killing. Also contributing to Marcos' downfall was the resolution signed in 1985 by 56 assemblymen calling for his impeachment for allegedly diverting U.S. aid to his personal coffers. To quiet the opposition and reassert his position of power, Marcos called for presidential elections to be held in 1986. Corazon Aquino, the widow of Benigno Aquino, emerged as a formidable opponent and became the presidential candidate of the opposition. Marcos, however, managed to defeat Aquino and retain the presidency, but it was quickly revealed that his victory was only ensured through massive voting fraud carried out by his supporters. As word spread of the rigged election, Marcos was discredited at home and abroad, and a tense standoff ensued between his supporters and those of Corazon Aquino. With his health failing and support for his regime fading fast, on February 25, 1986, with the United States urging him on, Ferdinand Marcos went into exile in Hawaii. Evidence was later uncovered showing that Marcos, his family and his associates had embezzled billions of dollars from the Philippine economy through various corrupt practices. The U.S. government subsequently indicted Marcos and his wife on racketeering charges, but Ferdinand died in 1989, and Imelda was acquitted of all charges and was allowed to return to the Philippines the following year.

Ferdinand Marcos
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article is about a former president of the Philippines. For his son, a politician and senator of the Philippines, see Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr.

His Excellency

Ferdinand Marcos
PLH

Marcos in 1982. 10th President of the Philippines In office December 30, 1965 February 25, 1986 Prime Minister Vice President Himself (19781981) Cesar Virata (19811986) Fernando Lopez (19651973) Arturo Tolentino (Feb 1625, 1986)

Preceded by

Diosdado Macapagal

Succeeded by Corazon Aquino 3rd Prime Minister of the Philippines In office June 12, 1978 June 30, 1981 Preceded by Office established
(Position previously held by Jorge B. Vargas)

Succeeded by Cesar Virata Secretary of National Defense In office August 28, 1971 January 3, 1972 President Preceded by Himself Juan Ponce Enrile

Succeeded by Juan Ponce Enrile In office December 31, 1965 January 20, 1967 President Preceded by Himself Macario Peralta

Succeeded by Ernesto Mata 11th President of the Senate of the Philippines In office April 5, 1963 December 30, 1965 President Preceded by Diosdado Macapagal Eulogio Rodriguez

Succeeded by Arturo Tolentino

Senator of the Philippines In office December 30, 1959 December 30, 1965 Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Ilocos Norte's Second District In office December 30, 1949 December 30, 1959 Preceded by Pedro Albano

Succeeded by Simeon M. Valdez Personal details Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos[1] September 11, 1917 Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, Philippines September 28, 1989 (aged 72) Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Marcos Museum and Mausoleum, Batac, Ilocos Norte, Philippines

Born

Died

Resting place

Political party Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (19781989) Other political Liberal Party (19461965) affiliations Nacionalista Party (19651978) Spouse(s) Imelda Romuldez (19541989) Ma. Imelda Marcos Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. Irene Marcos-Araneta University of the Philippines College of Law Lawyer

Children

Alma mater Profession

Religion

Roman Catholicism, formerly Iglesia Filipina Independiente

Signature Military service Allegiance Rank Battles/wars Philippines Major World War II

Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. (September 11, 1917 September 28, 1989) was President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives (19491959) and a member of the Philippine Senate (19591965). He was Senate President from 19631965. While in power he implemented wide-ranging programs of infrastructure development and economic reform. However, his administration was marred by massive corruption, political repression, and human rights violations. In 1983, his government was accused of being involved in the assassination of his primary political opponent, Benigno Aquino, Jr. Public outrage over the assassination served as the catalyst for the People Power Revolution in February 1986 that led to his removal from power and eventual exile in Hawaii. It was later discovered that, during his 20 years in power, he and his wife Imelda Marcos had moved billions of dollars of embezzled public funds to accounts and investments in the United States, Switzerland, and other countries.

Contents

1 Early life 2 The gifted child 3 Personal life 4 Congressional career o 4.1 House of Representatives o 4.2 Senate 5 Presidency o 5.1 First term (19651969) 5.1.1 Presidential campaign 5.1.2 Infrastructure programs 5.1.3 Vietnam War o 5.2 Second term (19691981) 5.2.1 1969 presidential election

5.2.2 Student uprising 5.2.3 Martial law and the New Society o 5.3 Cabinet 5.3.1 Prime Minister o 5.4 Cabinet under Martial Law o 5.5 Third term (19811986) 5.5.1 Impeachment attempt 5.5.2 Downfall 5.5.3 Aquino's assassination o 5.6 Economy 6 Corruption Charges 7 Post-presidency 8 Legacy 9 Writings 10 See also 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External links

Early life
Ferdinand Edralin Marcos was born 11 September 1917, in the town of Sarrat, Ilocos Norte to Mariano Marcos and Josefa Edralin.[2] He was baptized into the Philippine Independent Church.[3] According to the family's oral history, the original surname was Quidit, and their Ilokano stock had some Han Chinese and Japanese admixture.[citation needed] Marcos once claimed that one of his forefathers was a "15th century Chinese pirate." This pirate is the well-known Limahong or Lin Feng in China. Rumors in the Chinese community claims he is the illegitimate child of Judge Chua to Josefa Edralin. Thereby making him a half-Chinese by blood. It was said Judge Chua made arrangement for the young Josefa who was his secretary to marry with Mariano Marcos.[4] In December 1938, Ferdinand was prosecuted for the murder of Julio Nalundasan along with his father, Mariano, his brother, Pio, and his brother-in-law Quirino Lizardo; Nalundasan one of the elder Marcos' political rivals. Nalundasan had been shot and killed in his house in Batac on 20 September 1935the day after he had defeated Mariano Marcos a second time for a seat in the National Assembly. According to two witnesses, the four had conspired to assassinate Nalundasan, with Ferdinand Marcos eventually pulling the trigger. In late January 1939, they were denied bail[5] and in the fall[when?] of 1939 they were convicted. Ferdinand and Lizardo received the death penalty for premeditated murder, while Mariano and Pio were found guilty of contempt of court. The Marcos family took their appeal to the Supreme Court of the Philippines, which overturned the lower court's decision on 22 October 1940, acquitting them of all charges except contempt.[6] Marcos studied law at the University of the Philippines, attending the prestigious College of Law. He excelled in both curricular and extra-curricular activities, becoming a valuable member of the university's swimming, boxing, and wrestling teams. He was also an accomplished and prolific orator, debater, and writer for the student newspaper. He also became a member of the

University of the Philippines ROTC Unit (UP Vanguard Fraternity) where he met his future cabinet members and Armed Forces Chiefs of Staff. He sat for the 1939 Bar Examinations, receiving a near-perfect score and graduating cum laude despite the fact that he was incarcerated while reviewing; had he not been in jail for 27 days, he would have graduated magna cum laude. He was elected to the Pi Gamma Mu and the Phi Kappa Phi international honour societies, the latter giving him its Most Distinguished Member Award 37 years later.[7] He claimed to have led a 9,000-man guerrilla force called Ang Mahrlika (Tagalog, "The Noble") in northern Luzon during World War II, although his account of events was later cast into doubt after a United States military investigation exposed many of his claims as either false or inaccurate.[8]

The gifted child

In Seagrave's book "The Marcos Dynasty", he mentioned that Marcos possessed a phenomenal memory and exhibited this by memorizing complicated texts and reciting forward and backward such as the 1935 Constitution of the Philippines. Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, in an interview with the Philippine Star on March 25, 2012, shared her experience as a speech writer to President Marcos: "One time, the Secretary of Justice forgot to tell me that the President had requested him to draft a speech that the President was going to deliver before graduates of the law school. And then, on the day the President was to deliver the speech, he suddenly remembered because Malacaang was asking for the speech, so he said, 'This is an emergency. You just have to produce something.' And I just dictated the speech. He liked long speeches. I think that was 20 or 25 pages. And then, in the evening, I was there, of course. President Marcos recited the speech from memory." [9]

Personal life
He was married to Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, on May 1, 1954 and the marriage produced three children:

Maria Imelda "Imee" Marcos (born November 12, 1955) Governor of Ilocos Norte Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. (born September 13, 1957) Senator of the Philippines Irene Marcos (born September 16, 1960)

Congressional career

House of Representatives
When the Philippines was granted independence on July 4, 1946 by the American government, the Philippine Congress was established. Marcos ran and was three times elected as representative of the 2nd district of Ilocos Norte, 19491959. He was named chairman of the House Committee on Commerce and Industry and member of the Defense Committee headed by Ramon Magsaysay. He was chairman, House Neophytes Bloc in which (President) Diosdado Macapagal, (Vice President) Emmanuel Pelaez and (Manila Mayor) Arsenio J. Lacson were

members. He was also a member of the House Committee on Industry; LP spokesman on economic matters; member, Special Committee on Import and Price Controls and on Reparations; House Committees on Ways and Means, Banks Currency, War Veterans, Civil Service, Corporations and Economic Planning; and the House Electoral Tribunal.[10]

Senate
He was the topnotcher in the senatorial elections in 1959. He was Senate minority floor leader, 1960; executive vice president, LP 19541961; president, Liberal Party, 19611964; Senate President, 19631965. During his term as Senate President, former Defense Secretary Eulogio B. Balao was also closely working with Marcos. Marcos led a controversial political career both before and after his term as Senate President. He became Senator after he served as member of the House of Representatives for three terms, then later as Minority Floor Leader before gaining the Senate Presidency. He introduced a number of significant bills, many of which found their way into the Republic statute books.[10]

Presidency
Presidential styles of

Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. Reference style Spoken style Alternative style His Excellency Your Excellency Mr. President

First term (19651969)

Presidential campaign

Marcos at the White House in 1966.

Marcos was famous for his anti-Japanese guerrilla activity during World War IIsomething that set him apart from his political opponents, many of whom had collaborated with the Japanese. Marcos won the presidency in 1965.[11]
Infrastructure programs

The leaders of the SEATO nations in front of the Congress Building in Manila, hosted by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on October 24, 1966. (L-R:) Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky (South Vietnam), Prime Minister Harold Holt (Australia), President Park Chung-hee (South Korea), President Ferdinand Marcos (Philippines), Prime Minister Keith Holyoake (New Zealand), Lt. Gen. Nguyen Van Thieu (South Vietnam), Prime Minister Thanom Kittikachorn (Thailand), President Lyndon B. Johnson (United States)

Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos with Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird on September 12, 1966.

In his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos revealed his plans for economic development and government reform. Marcos wanted the immediate construction of roads, bridges and public works, which included 16,000 kilometers of feeder roads, some 30,000 lineal meters of permanent bridges, a generator with an electric power capacity of one million kilowatts (1,000,000 kW), and water services to eight regions and 38 localities.[citation needed] He also urged the revitalization of the judiciary, the national defense posture and the fight against smuggling, criminality, and graft and corruption in the government.[citation needed] To accomplish his goals President Marcos mobilized the manpower and resources of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for action to complement civilian agencies in such activities as infrastructure construction; economic planning and program execution; regional and industrial site planning and development; community development and others.[12][unreliable source?] The employment of technocrats in key positions and the mobilization of the AFP for civic actions resulted in the increasing functional integration of civilian and military elites.[13][unreliable source?]
Vietnam War

To the surprise of many, soon after becoming president, Marcos wanted the Philippines to become involved in the Vietnam War. He asked Congress to approve sending a combat engineer unit to South Vietnam. When the previous Philippine president, Macapagal, suggested in 1964 1965 to send troops it had been Marcos who had led the opposition against this plan on both legal and moral grounds. Despite opposition against the new plan, the Marcos government gained Congressional approval and Philippine troops were sent from the middle of 1966 as the Philippines Civic Action Group (PHILCAG). PHILCAG reached a strength of some 1,600 troops in 1968 and between 1966 and 1970 over 10,000 Filipino soldiers served in South Vietnam, mainly being involved in civilian infrastructure projects.[14][unreliable source?]

Second term (19691981)

1969 presidential election

In 1969, Marcos was reelected for a second termthe first Filipino president to win a second term.[15] The election was marked by massive violence, vote-buying, and fraud on Marcos'

part,[16][17] and Marcos used $56 million from the Philippines' treasury to fund his campaign.[18] His running mate, incumbent Vice President Fernando Lopez was also elected to a third full term as Vice President of the Philippines.
Student uprising Main article: First Quarter Storm

In 1970, students in Manila mobilized enormous numbers of people to attend protests against U.S. imperialism and the "rise of fascism" under Marcos. The protests later became known as the First Quarter Storm.[19]
Martial law and the New Society See also: Martial law in the Philippines

Ferdinand Marcos with Secretary of State George Shultz, 1982.

It is easier perhaps and more comfortable to look back to the solace of a familiar and mediocre past. But the times are too grave and the stakes too high for us to permit the customary concessions to traditional democratic processes.
Ferdinand Marcos, January 1973
[20]

On a privilege speech of Benigno Aquino, Jr., he warned the public of the possible establishment of a garrison state by President Marcos. Marcos declared martial law on September 22, 1972, by virtue of Proclamation 1081 which he signed on September 21, 1972, extending his rule beyond the constitutional two-term limit. He justified this by exaggerating threats of Communist and Muslim insurgencies.[21] He would later tell historians that he signed Proclamation No. 1081 as early as September 17.[4] Ruling by decree, he curtailed press freedom and other civil liberties, closed down Congress and media establishments, and ordered the arrest of opposition leaders and militant activists, including his staunchest critics, senators Benigno Aquino, Jr., Jovito Salonga and Jose Diokno.[22][23] Marcos claimed that martial law was the prelude to creating his Bagong Lipunan, a "New Society" based on new social and political values.[24][citation needed] A constitutional convention, which had been called for in 1970 to replace the Commonwealth era 1935 Constitution, continued the work of framing a new constitution after the declaration of

martial law. The new constitution went into effect in early 1973, changing the form of government from presidential to parliamentary and allowing Marcos to stay in power beyond 1973.[citation needed] After putting in force amendments to the constitution, legislative action, and securing his sweeping powers and with the Batasan under his control, President Marcos lifted martial law on January 17, 1981. However, the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus continued in the autonomous regions of Western Mindanao and Central Mindanao. The opposition dubbed the lifting of martial law as a mere "face lifting" as a precondition to the visit of Pope John Paul II.[25] Marcos had a vision of a Bagong Lipunan (New Society) similar to Indonesian president Suharto's "New Order administration". He used the years of martial law to implement this vision. According to Marcos' book, "Notes on the New Society," it was a movement urging the poor and the privileged to work as one for the common goals of society and to achieve the liberation of the Filipino people through self-realization.[citation needed] Marcos confiscated businesses owned by the oligarchy. More often than not, they were taken over by Marcos' family members and close personal friends, who used them as fronts to launder proceeds from institutionalized graft and corruption in the different national governmental agencies as "crony capitalism," Marcos' friends using them for personal benefit. With genuinely nationalistic motives, crony capitalism was intended to redistribute monopolies traditionally owned by Chinese and Mestizo oligarchs to Filipino businessmen though in practice, it led to graft and corruption via bribery, racketeering, and embezzlement. Marcos also silenced the free press, making the state press the only legal one. He also seized privately owned lands and distributed them to farmers. By waging an ideological war against the oligarchy, Marcos gained the support of the masses though he was to create a new one in its place. Marcos, now free from day-to-day governance which was left mostly to Enrile using his power to settle scores against old rivals, such as the Lopezes, who were always opposed to the Marcos administration. Leading opponents such as Senators Benigno Aquino, Jr., Jose Diokno, Jovito Salonga and many others were imprisoned for months or years. This practice considerably alienated the support of the old social and economic elite and the media, who criticized the Marcos administration endlessly.[citation needed][26] Between 1972 and 1976, Marcos increased the size of the Philippine military from 65,000 to 270,000 personnel.[24] Military officers were placed on the boards of a variety of media corporations, public utilities, development projects, and other private corporations. At the same time, Marcos made efforts to foster the growth of a domestic weapons manufacturing industry and heavily increased military spending.[27] The GNP of the country stood at $11.5 billion by 1980, which represented a 6.6% average annual growth rate. The 1980 GNP was four times greater than the GNP in 1972. Rice production increased from 5.1 million metric tons in 1972 to 7.25 million metric tons in 1980 due to Masagana 99.[28]

From the declaration of martial law in 1972, until 1983, the U.S. government provided $2.5 billion in bilateral military and economic aid to the Marcos regime, and about $5.5 billion through multilateral institutions such as the World Bank.[29] In a 1979 U.S. Senate report, it was stated that U.S. officials were aware, as early as 1973, that Philippine government agents were in the United States to harass Filipino dissidents. In June 1981, two anti-Marcos labor activists were assassinated outside of a union hall in Seattle. On at least one occasion, CIA agents blocked FBI investigations of Philippine agents.[30] The Marcos regime instituted a mandatory youth organization, known as the Kabataang Barangay, which was led by Marcos' eldest daughter Imee. Presidential Decree 684, enacted in April 1975, required that all youths aged 15 to 18 be sent to remote rural camps, where they underwent a ritualistic program designed to instill loyalty to the First Couple.[31][32] Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, Chief of Staff of the Philippine Constabulary Fidel Ramos, and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Fabian Ver were the chief administrators of martial law from 1972 to 1981, and the three remained President Marcos' closest advisers until he was ousted in 1986. Enrile and Ramos would later abandon Marcos' 'sinking ship' and seek protection behind the 1986 People Power Revolution. The Catholic hierarchy and Manila's middle class were crucial to the success of the massive crusade.[citation
needed]

Cabinet
OFFICE President Vice-President NAME Ferdinand Marcos Fernando Lopez TERM December 30, 1965 1978 December 30, 1965 September 23, 1972

Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Fernando Lopez Arturo Tanco, Jr.

19651971 19711978 December 30, 1965 December 16, 1967 December 17, 1967 April 20, 1971

Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports

Carlos P. Romulo

Onofre Corpuz

Juan Manuel Secretary of Foreign Affairs Narciso Ramos Carlos P. Romulo Secretary of Finance Juan Ponce Enrile Eduardo Romualdez Cesar Virata Secretary of Justice Jose Yulo Claudio Teehankee Juan Ponce Enrile Felix Makasiar Vicente Abad Santos Ferdinand Marcos (in concurrent capacity as President) Ernesto Mata Juan Ponce Enrile Ferdinand Marcos (in concurrent capacity as President) Juan Ponce Enrile Secretary of Commerce and Industry Marcelo Balatbat Leonides Sarao Virata Ernesto Maceda

April 21, 1971 19651968 19681978 19661968 19681970 19701978 19651967 19671968 19681970 1970 19701978

Secretary of National Defense

19651967

19671970 19701971

19711972

19721978 19661968 19691970 19701971

Troadio Quiazon Secretary of Industry Vicente Paterno

19711974 19741978 19661968 19681969 19691970 19701975 19751978 19741978

Secretary of Public Works, Antonio Raquiza Transportation and Communications Rene Espina Antonio Syquio David Consunji Alfredo Juinio Secretary of Public Highways Baltazar Aquino

Director-General of the National Economic and Development Gerardo Sicat Authority

19731978

Prime Minister

In 1978, the position returned when Ferdinand Marcos became Prime Minister. Based on Article 9 of the 1973 constitution, it had broad executive powers, that would be typical of modern prime ministers in other countries. The position was the official head of government, and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. All of the previous powers of the President from the 1935 Constitution were transferred to the newly restored office of Prime Minister. The Prime Minister also acted as head of the National Economic Development Authority. Upon his reelection to President, Marcos was succeeded as Prime Minister by Cesar Virata in 1981.[citation
needed]

Cabinet under Martial Law

OFFICE President Prime Minister NAME Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Marcos TERM 19781986 19781981

Cesar Virata Minister of Agriculture Arturo Tanco, Jr.

19811986 19781984

Salvador Escudero III 19841986 Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo Manuel Collantes Arturo Tolentino Pacifico Castro Minister of Finance Minister of Justice Cesar Virata 19781984 1984 19841985 19851986 19781986

Vicente Abad Santos 19781979 Catalino Macaraig, Jr. 1979 Ricardo Puno Estelito Mendoza 19791984 19841986 19781986 19781979 19791981 19791981 19811986 19781981 19781979 19791980

Minister of National Defense Minister of Industry[33]

Juan Ponce Enrile Vicente Paterno Roberto Ongpin

Minister of Trade Minister of Trade and Industry Minister of Public Works, Transportation and Communications[34] Minister of Public Highways

Luis Villafuerte, Sr. Roberto Ongpin Alfredo Juinio Baltazar Aquino Vicente Paterno

Jesus Hipolito Minister of Public Works and Highways Jesus Hipolito

19801981 19811986 19781981 19811986 19781986 19781986 19781986

Director-General of the Gerardo Sicat National Economic and Development Authority Cesar Virata Minister of Energy Minister of Human Settlements Minister of Labor Geronimo Velasco Imelda Marcos Blas Ople

Third term (19811986)

We love your adherence to democratic principles and to the democratic process, and we will not leave you in isolation.
U.S. Vice-President George H. W. Bush during Ferdinand Marcos inauguration, June 1981
[35]

On June 16, 1981, six months after the lifting of martial law, the first presidential election in twelve years was held. As to be expected, President Marcos ran and won a massive victory over the other candidates. The major opposition parties, the United Nationalists Democratic Organizations (UNIDO), a coalition of opposition parties and LABAN, boycotted the elections.

Impeachment attempt

President Ferdinand Marcos in Washington in 1983.

On August 13, 1985, fifty-six Assemblymen signed a resolution calling for the impeachment of President Marcos for alleged diversion of U.S. aid for personal use,[36] citing a July 1985 San Jose Mercury News expos of the Marcoses multi-million dollar investment and property holdings in the United States.[citation needed] The properties allegedly amassed by the First Family were the Crown Building, Lindenmere Estate, and a number of residential apartments (in New Jersey and New York), a shopping center in New York, mansions (in London, Rome and Honolulu), the Helen Knudsen Estate in Hawaii and three condominiums in San Francisco, California.[citation needed] The Assemblymen also included in the complaint the misuse and misapplication of funds for the construction of the Film Center, where X-rated and pornographic films are exhibited, contrary to public morals and Filipino customs and traditions.[citation needed]
Downfall See also: People Power Revolution

During these years, Marcos's regime was marred by rampant corruption and political mismanagement by his relatives and cronies, which culminated with the assassination of Benigno Aquino. Critics considered Marcos the quintessential kleptocrat,[37] having looted

billions of dollars from the Filipino treasury. The large personality cult in the Philippines surrounding Marcos also led to disdain.[citation needed] During his third term, Marcos' health deteriorated rapidly due to kidney ailments, often described as lupus erythematosus. He was absent for weeks at a time for treatment, with no one to assume command. Marcos' regime was sensitive to publicity of his condition; a palace physician who alleged that during one of these periods Marcos had undergone a kidney transplant was shortly afterward found murdered. Many people questioned whether he still had capacity to govern, due to his grave illness and the ballooning political unrest.[38] With Marcos ailing, his equally powerful wife, Imelda, emerged as the government's main public figure. Marcos dismissed speculations of his ailing health as he used to be an avid golfer and fitness buff who liked showing off his physique. In light of these growing problems, the assassination of Aquino in 1983 would later prove to be the catalyst that led to his overthrow. Many Filipinos came to believe that Marcos, a shrewd political tactician, had no hand in the murder of Aquino but that he was involved in cover-up measures. However, the opposition blamed Marcos directly for the assassination while others blamed the military and his wife, Imelda. The 1985 acquittals of Ver as well as other high-ranking military officers for the crime were widely seen as a miscarriage of justice.[citation needed] By 1984, U.S. President Ronald Reagan started distancing himself from the Marcos regime that he and previous American presidents had strongly supported even after Marcos declared martial law. The United States, which had provided hundreds of millions of dollars in aid, was crucial in buttressing Marcos's rule over the years.[39] During the Carter administration the relation with the U.S. soured somewhat when President Jimmy Carter targeted the Philippines in his human rights campaign.[citation needed] In the face of escalating public discontent and under pressure from foreign allies, Marcos called a "Snap election" in 1986, with more than a year left in his term. He selected Arturo Tolentino as his running mate.[citation needed] The opposition to Marcos united behind Aquino's widow, Corazon, and her running mate, Salvador Laurel.[40][41] The "People Power movement" drove Marcos into exile and installed Corazon Aquino as the new president.[42] At the height of the revolution, Enrile revealed that his ambush was faked in order for Marcos to have a pretext for imposing martial law. However, Marcos maintained that he was the duly elected and proclaimed president of the Philippines for a fourth term.[citation needed] The Philippine government today is still paying interest in public debts incurred during Marcos' administration. It was reported that, when Marcos fled, U.S. Customs agents discovered 24 suitcases of gold bricks and diamond jewelry hidden in diaper bags and in addition, certificates for gold bullion valued in the billions of dollars were allegedly among the personal properties he, his family, his cronies and business partners surreptitiously took with them when the U.S. provided them safe passage to Hawaii. When the presidential mansion was seized, it was discovered that Imelda Marcos had over 2700 pairs of shoes in her closet.[43]

Aquino's assassination Main article: Assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.

In 1983, opposition leader Benigno Aquino, Jr. was assassinated by his Philippine military escort at the Manila International Airport upon his return to the Philippines after three years in exile. Popular speculations pointed to three suspects; first was Marcos himself through his trusted military chief Fabian Ver; the second theory pointed to his wife Imelda who had her own burning ambition now that her ailing husband seemed to be getting weaker and the third was that crony Danding Cojuangco planned the assassination because of his political ambitions. There is no basis either in motive or logic to support the allegation that either Ninoy or his ultra-pious wife Cory planned her husband's assassination. Ninoy's brutal death while under the custody of military security combined with Marcos' dictatorial governance and plundering of public coffers ultimately led to an irreversible spiral that saw widespread protests and his eventual ignominious eviction from Malacanang.[44]

Economy

Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos on a walk with U.S President Ronald Reagan.

To help finance a number of economic development projects, the Marcos government borrowed large amounts of money from international lenders.[45][46] The Philippines' external debt rose from $360 million (US) in 1962 to $28.3 billion in 1986, making the Philippines one of the most indebted countries in Asia.[45] A sizable amount of this money went to Marcos family and friends in the form of behest loans. These loans were assumed by the government and still being serviced by taxpayers. These loans were funded to construct the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant but later after his ouster, the plant was not utilized by the government for some reasons. Today, more than half of the country's revenues are outlaid for the payments on the interests of loans alone. During the time of the late Pres. Corazon Aquino, this debts were repudiated even if Jaime Ongpin, finance secretary threatened to resign. Even the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas tried to resist the bills passage in the Congress, but due to international pressure Cory did allow repudiating these debts.[citation needed] Foreign capital was invited to invest in certain industrial projects. They were offered incentives, including tax exemption privileges and the privilege of bringing out their profits in foreign currencies. One of the most important economic programs in the 1980s was the Kilusang

Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran (Movement for Livelihood and Progress). This program was started in September 1981. It aimed to promote the economic development of the barangays by encouraging its residents to engage in their own livelihood projects. The government's efforts resulted in the increase of the nation's economic growth rate to an average of six percent or seven percent from 1970 to 1980.[47] The Philippine economy suffered a great decline after the Aquino assassination in August 1983. The political troubles hindered the entry of foreign investments, and foreign banks stopped granting loans to the Philippine government.[citation needed] In an attempt to launch a national economic recovery program, Marcos negotiated with foreign creditors including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), for a restructuring of the country's foreign debts to give the Philippines more time to pay the loans. Marcos ordered a cut in government expenditures and used a portion of the savings to finance the Sariling Sikap (Self-Reliance), a livelihood program he established in 1984.[citation needed] However, the economy experienced negative economic growth from the beginning of 1984 and continued to decline despite the government's recovery efforts. The failure of the recovery program was caused by civil unrest, rampant graft and corruption within the government, and Marcos' lack of credibility. Marcos himself diverted large sums of government money to his party's campaign funds. The unemployment rate ballooned from 6.30% in 1972 to 27.65% in 1985.[48][citation needed] Between 1972 and 1980, the average monthly income of wage workers had fallen by 20%. By 1981, the wealthiest 10% of the population was receiving twice as much income as the bottom 60%.[49] With help from the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations, Marcos brought the "Green Revolution" (industrialized, chemical agriculture) to the Philippines. These reforms resulted in high profits for transnational corporations, but were generally harmful to small, peasant farmers who were often pushed into poverty.[50] After declaring martial law in 1972, Marcos promised to implement agrarian reforms. However, the land reforms "served largely to undermine Marcos' landholder opponents, not to lessen inequality in the countryside",[51] and "encouraged conversion to cash tenancy and greater reliance on farm workers".[52] From 1972 to 1980, agricultural production fell by 30%.[49] Under Marcos, exports of timber products were among the nation's top exports. Little attention was paid to environmental impacts of deforestation. By the early 1980s, the industry collapsed because most of the Philippines' accessible forests had been depleted.[53]

Corruption Charges
Since as early as March 1968, Ferdinand Marcos was reported to have deposited large amounts in Swiss banks including Credit Suisse, under the pseudonym "William Saunders" (an alias he had used during his World War II days), while Imelda used the pseudonym "Jane Ryan". [54] In 1988, he was indicted by the federal grand jury in Manhattan, USA, in a racketeering case that

included charges that he embezzled more than $100 million from the Philippine Government and used the money to buy three buildings in New York City.[55]

Post-presidency
At 5:00 a.m., February 25, 1986, Marcos talked to United States Senator Paul Laxalt, asking for advice from the White House. Laxalt advised him to "cut and cut cleanly", to which Marcos expressed his disappointment after a short pause.[56] In the afternoon, Marcos talked to Enrile, asking for safe passage for him and his family including his close allies like General Ver. Finally, at 9:00 p.m., the Marcos family was transported by four Sikorsky HH-3E helicopters[57] to Clark Air Base in Angeles City, Pampanga, about 83 kilometers north of Manila, before boarding US Air Force C-130 planes bound for Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, and finally to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii where Marcos arrived on February 26. Marcos died in Honolulu on September 28, 1989, of kidney, heart and lung ailments. Marcos was interred in a private mausoleum at Byodo-In Temple on the island of Oahu, visited daily by the Marcos family, political allies and friends. His remains are currently interred inside a refrigerated crypt in Ilocos Norte, where his son, Ferdinand, Jr., and eldest daughter, Imee have since become the local governor and representative, respectively. A large bust of Ferdinand Marcos (resembling Mount Rushmore) was commissioned by the tourism minister, Jose Aspiras, and carved into a hillside in Benguet. It was subsequently destroyed; suspects included left-wing activists, members of a local tribe who had been displaced by construction of the monument, and looters hunting for the Marcos' legendary hidden treasure.[58] Imelda Marcos was acquitted of embezzlement by a U.S. court in 1990 but was still facing a several hundred additional corruption charges in Philippine courts in 2006. In 1995 some 10,000 Filipinos won a U.S. class-action lawsuit filed against the Marcos estate. The charges were filed by victims or their surviving relatives for torture, execution and disappearances.[59][60] Corazon Aquino repealed many of the repressive laws that had been enacted during Marcos' dictatorship. She restored the right of access to habeas corpus, repealed anti-labor laws, and freed hundreds of political prisoners.[61] From 1989 to 1996, a series of suits were brought before U.S. courts against Marcos and his daughter Imee, charging them with executions, torture, and disappearances committed under their command. A jury in the Ninth Circuit Court awarded $2 billion to the plaintiffs and to a class composed of human rights victims and their families.[62] On June 12, 2008, the US Supreme Court (in a 72 ruling penned by Justice Anthony Kennedy in Republic of the Philippines v. Mariano Pimentel) held that: The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is reversed, and the case is remanded with instructions to order the District Court to dismiss the interpleader action. The court dismissed the interpleader lawsuit filed to determine the rights of 9,500 Filipino human rights victims (19721986) to recover $35 million, part of a $2 billion judgment in U.S. courts against the Marcos estate, because the Philippines is an indispensable party, protected by sovereign immunity. It claimed ownership of the funds transferred by Marcos

in 1972 to Arelma S.A., which invested the money with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., in New York.[63][64][65] Human rights groups place the number of victims of extrajudicial killings under martial law at 1500 and Karapatan, a local human rights group's records show 759 involuntarily disappeared (their bodies never found). Military historian Alfred McCoy in his book "Closer than Brothers: Manhood at the Philippine Military Academy" and in his speech "Dark Legacy" cites 3,257 extrajudicial killings, 35,000 torture victims, and 70,000 incarcerated during the Marcos years.[66][67] The newspaper Bulatlat (lit. "to open carelessly") places the number of victims of arbitrary arrest and detention at 120,000.[68]

Legacy
Marcos' family and cronies looted so much wealth from the country that to this day investigators have difficulty determining precisely how many billions of dollars were stolen. However, it is estimated that Marcos alone stole at least $5 billion from the Filipino treasury.[69][70] The Swiss government, initially reluctant to respond to allegations that stolen funds were held in Swiss accounts,[71] has returned US$684 million of Marcos wealth.[72][73][74] According to Jovito Salonga, monopolies in several vital industries have been created and placed under the control of Marcos cronies, such as the coconut industries (under Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile), the tobacco (under Lucio Tan), the banana (under Antonio Floirendo), the sugar industry (under Roberto Benedicto) and manufacturing (under Herminio Disini and Ricardo Silverio). The Marcos and Romualdez families became owners, directly or indirectly, of the nation's largest corporations, such as the Philippine Long Distance Company (PLDC), of which the present name is Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT), the Philippine Airlines (PAL), Meralco (an electric company), Fortune Tobacco, the San Miguel Corporation (Asia's largest beer and bottling company), numerous newspapers, radio and TV broadcasting companies (such as ABS-CBN), several banks( most notably the Philippine Commercial and Industrial Bank; PCIBank of the Lopezes now BDO after merging with Equitable Bank and after BDO acquired the merged Equitable PCI), and real estate properties in New York, California and Hawaii.[75] The Aquino government also accused them of skimming off foreign aid and international assistance.[citation needed] Many laws written by Marcos are still in force and in effect. Out of thousands of proclamations, decrees and executive orders, only a few were repealed, revoked, modified or amended.[76] Few credit Marcos for promoting Filipino culture and nationalism. His 21 years in power with the help of U.S. massive economic aid and foreign loans enabled Marcos to build more schools, hospitals and infrastructure than any of his predecessors combined.[77] In the 2004 Global Transparency Report, Marcos appeared in the list of the World's Most Corrupt Leaders. He was listed second behind the late President of Indonesia, Suharto and he was said to have amassed between $5 billion to $10 billion in his 21 years as president of the Philippines.[78][79]

During the ICIJ's (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists) expose of Offshore leaks in April 2013, the name of her eldest daughter, Imee Marcos appeared on the list of wealthy people involved in offshore financial secrecy. It was revealed that she is hiding parts her father's ill-gotten wealth in tax havens in the British Virgin Islands. [80][81]

IV. Marcos Deserted Achievements

During the first term of President Ferdinand Marcos, he listed the following to be the achievements during his administration; 1. Increased rice and corn production to the point of self-sufficiency with the initiation of the Green Revolution and the introduction of miracle rice. 2. The construction of roads and bridges, more than those built under all his predecessors combined, including a substantial portion of the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway that would link Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. 3. The construction of more school houses than under any preceding administration. 4. The revival of intellectual renaissance through the First Ladys patronage and involvement in the arts. 5. The rehabilitation of irrigation systems; the intensification of the cooperative movement, and the vigorous implementation of land reform.

IV. Marcos Deserted Accomplishments It is a Filipino trait to have long memories on the mistakes one has done and has short memories on the good one has accomplished. This axiom defines the invictus of President Ferdinand Marcos. The fictioned awful acts attributed to him and to his family shunned his achievements and contributions to our country. Looking back at history, during the Marcos administration, social justice finds concrete translation in development plans and programs. These interventions were focused on eliminating illiteracy, expanding employment opportunities, sharing the fruits of development equitably and introducing requisite of institutional change. The measures of developmentthe Gross National Product (GNP), literacy rate, and life expectancy had been secured during his lead. Let us count the ways: I. Food sufficiency A. Green Revolution Production of rice was increased through promoting the cultivation of IR-8 hybrid rice. In 1968 the Philippines became self-sufficient in rice, the first time in history since the American period. It also exported rice worth US$7 million. B. Blue Revolution

Marine species like prawn, mullet, milkfish, and golden tilapia were being produced and distributed to farmers at a minimum cost. Today, milkfish and prawns contribute substantially to foreign exchange income. C. Liberalized Credit More than one thousand rural banks spread all over the country resulting to the accessibility of credit to finance purchase of agricultural inputs, hired labor, and harvesting expenses at very low interest rate. During 1981-1985, credit was available without interest and collateral arrangements. Some of the credit programs were the ff: 1. Biyayang Dagat (credit support for fishermen) 2. Bakahang Barangay supported fattening of 40,000 head of cattle in farmer backyards 3. Masaganang Maisan, Maisagana, and Expanded Yellow Corn Program supported 1.4 Million farmers through P4.7 Billion loans from 1975-1985 4. Gulayan sa Kalusugan and Pagkain ng Bayan Programs provided grants and loans of P12.4 Million to encourage backyard and communal production of vegetables and improve nutrition of Filipino households 5. Kilusang Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran (KKK)supported 25,000 entrepreneurial projects through P1.8 Billion and helping 500,000 beneficiaries D. Decontrol Program Price control polices were implemented on rice and corn to provide greater incentive to farmers to produce more. Deregulation of trading in commodities like sugar and coconut and agricultural inputs like fertilizer were done for more efficient marketing and trading arrangements. II. Education Reform Access to free education widened during the Marcos Administration. The biggest portion of the budget was allotted for Educational Programs (P58.7 Billion in 20 years). The literacy rate climbed from 72% in 1965 to 93% in 1985 and almost 100% in Metro Manila on the same year. III. Agrarian Reform Tenants Emancipation Act of 1972 or PD 27 was implemented without bloodshed. This was the first Land Reform Code our country. Since it was implemented until December 1985, 1.2 million farmers benefited, either they became the owner or leaseholder in more than 1.3 million hectares of rice and corn lands. IV. Primary Health Care The Primary Health Care (PHC) Program made medical care accessible to millions of Filipinos in the remotest barrios of the country. This program was even awarded by United Nations as the most effective and most responsive health program among the third world countries. With PHC life expectancy increased from 53.7 years in 1965 to 65 years in 1985. Infant mortality rate also declined from 73 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1965 to 58 in 1984. V. Housing for the masses Bagong Lipunan Improvement of Sites and Services (BLISS) Housing project had expanded the governments housing program for the low-income group. Massive slum upgrading projects have improved to 14,000 lots in 1985 from 2,500 in 1976. The Tondo foreshore, for instance, is one of the biggest and most miserable slum colonies in Asia was transformed into a decent community. A total of 230,000 housing units were constructed from 1975-1985. The laws on socialized housing were conceptualized by President Marcos through a series of

legal issuances from the funding, the lending, mortgaging and to the collection of the loans. These are governed by the Home Mutual Development Fund (Pag-Ibig Fund), the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) and the National Home Mortgage Finance which remain intact up to the present VI. Energy Self-Reliance Indigenous energy sources were developed like hydro, geothermal, dendrothermal, coal, biogas and biomass. The country became the first in Asia to use dendrothermal and in five years we became number two, next to US, in geothermal utilization. The extensive energy resource research and exploration and development resulted to reduction of oil imports from 100% in 1965 to 40% in 1985 and in the same year, more than 1,400 towns and cities were fully energized. VII. Export Development During 1985 textile and textile products like garments and embroideries, furniture and rattan products, marine products like prawns and milkfish, raw silk, shoes, dehydrated and fresh fruits were exported aside from the traditional export products like coconut, sugar, logs, lumber and veneer. The maritime industry was also dominated by Filipinos wherein 50,000 seamen were employed by various world shipping companies. VIII. Labor Reform The Labor code was promulgated which expanded the concerns of the Magna Carta of Labor to extend greater protection to labor, promote employment, and human resource development. The minimum wages of the workers were boosted through the guaranteed 13th month pay and cost of living allowances. Employment potentials of Filipinos were enhanced through skills training. During that time, there were 896,000 out-of-school youths and unemployed graduated from various training centers all over the country. IX. Unprecedented Infrastructure Growth The countrys road network had improved from 55,778 kilometers in 1965 to 77,950 in five years (1970), and eventually reached 161,000 kilometers in 1985. Construction of irrigation facilities was also done that made 1.5 million hectares of land irrigated and increased the farmers harvest and income. In addition, nationwide telecommunication systemstelephone systems, telex exchange too centers, and interprovincial toll stations were also built. X. Political Reform The structure of government established by President Marcos remains substantially the same except the change of name, inclusive of superficial features in laws, to give a semblance of change from that of President Marcos regime. The only significant department that was abolished after the departure of President Marcos was the Department of Ministry of Human Settlements under Imelda Romualdez Marcos. It was dismantled but the functions were distributed to different offices. XII. Fiscal Reform Government finances were stabilized by higher revenue collections and loans from treasury bonds, foreign lending institutions and foreign governments.

XI. Peace and Order In 1966, more than 100 important smugglers were arrested; in three years 1966-68 they arrested a total of 5,000. Military men involved in smuggling were forced to retire. Peace and order significantly improved in most provinces however situations in Manila and some provinces continued to deteriorate until the imposition of martial law in 1972.