Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr.

(/ˈmɑːrkɔːs/,[2] September 11, 1917 – September 28,

1989) was a Filipino politician and kleptocrat[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] who was the tenth President of the
Philippines from 1965 to 1986.[10] A leading member of the New Society Movement, he ruled as
a dictator[4][11][12][13] under martial law from 1972 until 1981.[14] His regime was infamous for its
corruption,[15][16][17][18] extravagance,[19][20][21] and brutality.[22][23][24]
Marcos claimed an active part in World War II, including fighting alongside the Americans in
the Bataan Death March and being the "most decorated war hero in the Philippines".[25] A number of
his claims were found to be false[26][27][28][29][30] and United States Army documents described Marcos's
wartime claims as "fraudulent" and "absurd".[31]
Marcos started as an attorney, then served in the Philippine House of Representatives from 1949 to
1959 and the Philippine Senate from 1959 to 1965. He was elected President in 1965, and presided
over a growing economy during the beginning and intermediate portion of his 20-year rule,[32] but
ended in loss of livelihood, extreme poverty, and a crushing debt crisis.[33][34][35] Marcos placed the
Philippines under martial law on September 23, 1972,[36][37][38] during which he revamped the
constitution, silenced the media,[39] and used violence and oppression[24] against the political
opposition,[40] Muslims, communists,[41] and ordinary citizens.[42] Martial law was ratified by 90.77% of
voters in the 1973 Philippine Martial Law referendum, though the referendum was marred with
controversy.[43][44]
After being elected for a third term in the 1981 Philippine presidential election, Marcos's popularity
suffered greatly due to public outrage of the assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983. The
assassination, along with economic collapse, revitalized the opposition, resulting in them securing a
better-than-expected victory in the 1984 Philippine parliamentary election. Both of these factors
alongside growing discontent and the discovery of documents exposing his finances and falsified
war records, led him to call the snap election of 1986. Allegations of mass cheating, political turmoil,
and human rights abuses led to the People Power Revolution of February 1986, which removed him
from power.[45] To avoid what could have been a military confrontation in Manila between pro- and
anti-Marcos troops, Marcos was advised by US President Ronald Reagan through Senator Paul
Laxalt to "cut and cut cleanly",[46] after which Marcos fled to Hawaii.[47] Marcos was succeeded
by Corazon "Cory" Aquino, widow of the assassinated opposition leader Senator Benigno "Ninoy"
Aquino Jr. who had flown back to the Philippines to face Marcos.[45][48][49][50]
According to source documents provid