History of the Philippines (1965–1986)

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Republic of the Philippines

Republika ng Pilipinas  (Filipino)

1965–1986

Flag
(1965–1985)

Coat of arms
(1978–1985)

Motto: "Isang Bansa, Isang Diwa"[1]

"One Nation, One Spirit"

Anthem: Lupang Hinirang
(English: "Chosen Land")

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March: Bagong Pagsilang
(English: "New Birth")

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 Location of the Philippines in Southeast Asia.

Capital 1965–1976:
Quezon City (official)
Manila (legislative capital until 1972)
1976–1986:
Manila (de jure)
Metro Manila (de facto)

Largest city Quezon City

Common languages Filipino (official)
English
Spanish

Government Unitary presidential constitutional
republic (1946–1973)

Unitary presidential constitutional
republic under
an authoritarian conjugal military
dictatorship (1972–1978)

Unitary dominant-party presidential consti
tutional republic under
an authoritarian conjugal military
dictatorship (1978–1981)

Unitary dominant-party semi-presidential 
constitutional republic (1981–1984)
 Unitary dominant-party presidential consti
tutional republic (1984–1986)

Revolutionary government (1986-1987)

President  

• 1965–1986 Ferdinand Marcos

• 1986 Corazon Aquino

Vice President  

• 1965–1973 Fernando Lopez

• 1973–1986 abolished by the 1973 Constitution

• 1986 Salvador Laurel

Prime Minister  

• 1978–1981 Ferdinand Marcos

• 1981–1986 Cesar Virata

• 1986 Salvador Laurel

Legislature Congress (1965–1972)
None (1972–1976)
Batasang Bayan (1976–1978)
Interim Batasang Pambansa (1978–1984)
Regular Batasang Pambansa (1984–1986)

• Upper house Senate

(1965–1972)

• Lower house House of Representatives

(1965–1972)

History  

• Inauguration of December 30, 1965

Ferdinand Marcos

• First Quarter Storm January 26 – March 17, 1970

• Plaza Miranda August 21, 1971

bombing

• Proclamation 1081 September 23, 1972

• 1973 Constitution January 17, 1973

 • Assassination of Ninoy August 21, 1983
Aquino

• 1986 snap election February 7, 1986

• EDSA Revolution February 22–25, 1986

Currency Philippine peso (₱)

Time zone UTC+08:00 (PST)

Date format mm/dd/yyyy

dd-mm-yyyy

Driving side right

ISO 3166 code PH

Preceded by Succeeded by
Third Republic Provisional
of the Government
Philippines

Today part of Philippines

The history of the Philippines, from 1965 to 1986, covers the dictatorship of Ferdinand
Marcos, also known as the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorial administration. The Marcos era
includes the final years of the Third Republic (1965–1972), the Philippines under martial
law (1972–1981), and the majority of the Fourth Republic (1981–1986). By the end of
the Marcos dictatorial era, the country was experiencing a debt crisis, extreme poverty,
and severe underemployment.[2][3]

Contents

 1The Marcos administration (1965–1972)

o 1.1First term
o 1.2Second term
o 1.3Plaza Miranda bombing
o 1.4Alleged ambush of Juan Ponce Enrile
 2Martial law (1972–1981)
o 2.1Human rights abuses
o 2.2Economy
o 2.3Emigration
o 2.4Corruption, plunder, and crony capitalism
o 2.5Parliamentary elections
 3The Fourth Republic (1981–1986)
 4End of the Marcos regime
 5References

The Marcos administration (1965–1972)[edit]

First term[edit]

Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos with Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson during a visit to the United

States.

In 1965, Ferdinand Marcos won the presidential election and became the 10th president

of the Philippines. His first term was marked with increased industrialization and the
creation of solid infrastructures nationwide, such as the North Luzon Expressway and
the Maharlika Highway. Marcos did this by appointing a cabinet composed mostly
of technocrats and intellectuals, by increasing funding to the Armed Forces and
mobilizing them to help in construction. Marcos also established schools and learning
institutions nationwide, more than the combined total of those established by his
predecessors.[citation needed]
In 1968, Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. warned that Marcos was on the road to
establishing "a garrison state" by "ballooning the armed forces budget", saddling the
defense establishment with "overstaying generals" and "militarizing our civilian
government offices". These were prescient comments in the light of events that would
happen in the following decade.[4] Marcos also sent 10,450 Filipino soldiers to Vietnam
during his term, under the Philippine Civic Action Group (PHILCAG). Fidel Ramos, who
was later to become the 12th president of the Philippines in 1992, was a part of this
expeditionary force.
Second term[edit]
In 1969, Marcos ran for a second term (allowable under the 1935 constitution then in
effect[5]), and won against 11 other candidates.
Marcos' second term was marked by economic turmoil brought about by factors both
external and internal, a restless student body who demanded educational reforms, a
rising crime rate, and a growing communist insurgency, among other things.
Ferdinand Marcos, president from 1965–1986.

At one point, student activists took over the Diliman campus of the University of the
Philippines and declared it a free commune, which lasted for a while before the
government dissolved it. Violent protesting continued over the next few years until the
declaration of martial law in 1972. The event was popularly known as the First Quarter
Storm.
During the First Quarter Storm in 1970, the line between leftist activists and communists
became increasingly blurred, as a significant number of Kabataang Makabayan ('KM')
advanced activists joined the Communist Party also founded by Jose Maria Sison.[6] KM
members protested in front of Congress, throwing a coffin, a stuffed alligator, and
stones at Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos after his State of the Nation Address. At the
presidential palace, activists rammed the gate with a fire truck and once the gate broke
and gave way, the activists charged into the palace grounds tossing rocks, pillboxes
and Molotov cocktails. In front of the U.S. embassy, protesters vandalized, burned, and
damaged the embassy lobby resulting in a strong protest from the U.S. ambassador. [6][7]
[8]
 The KM protests ranged from 50,000 to 100,000 in number per weekly mass action.
[6]
 In the aftermath of the January 1970 riots, at least two activists were confirmed dead
and several were injured by the police. The mayor of Manila at the time, Antonio
Villegas, commended the Manila Police District for their "exemplary behavior and
courage" and protecting the First Couple long after they had left. The death of the
activists was seized by the Lopez controlled Manila Times and Manila Chronicle,
blaming Marcos and added fire to the weekly protests. [9] Students declared a week-long
boycott of classes and instead met to organize protest rallies. [7]
Rumors of a coup d'état were also brewing. A report of the U.S. Senate Foreign
Relations Committee said that shortly after the 1969 Philippine presidential election, a
group composed mostly of retired colonels and generals organized a revolutionary junta
to first discredit President Marcos and then kill him. As described in a document given to
the committee by Philippine Government official, key figures in the plot were Vice
President Fernando Lopez and Sergio Osmeña Jr., whom Marcos defeated in the 1969
election.[10] Marcos even went to the U.S. embassy to dispel rumors that the U.S.
embassy is supporting a coup d'état which the opposition liberal party was spreading.
[9]
 While the report obtained by the New York Times speculated saying that story could
be used by Marcos to justify martial law, as early as December 1969 in a message from
the U.S. ambassador to the U.S. assistant secretary of state, the U.S. ambassador said
that most of the talk about revolution and even assassination has been coming from the
defeated opposition, of which Adevoso (of the Liberal Party) is a leading activist. He
also said that the information he has on the assassination plans are 'hard' or well-
sourced and he has to make sure that it reached President Marcos. [11][12]
In light of the crisis, Marcos wrote an entry in his diary in January 1970: [9] "I have several
options. One of them is to abort the subversive plan now by the sudden arrest of the
plotters. But this would not be accepted by the people. Nor could we get the Huks
(Communists), their legal cadres and support. Nor the MIM (Maoist International
Movement) and other subversive [or front] organizations, nor those underground. We
could allow the situation to develop naturally then after massive terrorism, wanton
killings and an attempt at my assassination and a coup d’etat, then declare martial law
or suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus – and arrest all including the legal
cadres. Right now I am inclined towards the latter."
Plaza Miranda bombing[edit]
Main article: Plaza Miranda bombing
On August 21, 1971, the Liberal Party held a campaign rally at the Plaza Miranda to
proclaim their senatorial bets and their candidate for the mayoralty of Manila. Two
grenades were reportedly tossed on stage, injuring almost everybody present. As a
result, Marcos suspended the writ of habeas corpus to arrest those behind the attack.
He rounded up supposed suspects and other undesirables to eliminate rivals in the
Liberal Party.
Marcos accused the communist movement as the perpetrators of the bombing, and
responded by suspending the writ of habeas corpus. [13][14][15] Declassified documents from
the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency also implicate Marcos in at least one of the deadly
series of bombings in 1971.[16]