Ferdinand Marcos Biography - life, family, childhood, parents, story, death, history, school, young, old, information, born Ferdinand Marcos Biography Honolulu, Hawaii Filipino president and politician Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos began his career in politics with the murder of Julio Nalundasan in 1935, and ended it after the murder of Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983. Some believe his entire life was based on fraud, deceit, and theft, and his time as president has come to represent one of the prime examples of a corrupt government. Youth and family Ferdinand Edralin Marcos was born on September 11, 1917, in Sarrat, a village in the Ilocos North region of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. His parents, Josefa Edralin and Mariano Marcos, were both teachers from important families. In 1925 Mariano Marcos became a congressman, surrounding the young Ferdinand in a political atmosphere at an early age. Mariano also had a strong influence on what was to become Ferdinand's competitive, win-at-all-costs nature.

Mariano and Josefa pushed Ferdinand to excel at everything, not only his studies at school, but also at activities such as wrestling, boxing, hunting, survival skills, and marks-manship (skill with a gun or rifle). In college, Marcos's main interest was the .22-caliber college pistol team. Marcos's real father was not Mariano but a wealthy Chinese man named Ferdinand Chua. (Marcos would claim that Chua was his "godfather.") Chua was a well-connected judge who was responsible for much of Marcos's unusual good luck as a young man. Among other things, Chua paid for young Marcos's schooling and later managed to influence the Philippine Supreme Court to overturn the young Marcos's conviction for murder. On September 20, 1935, Julio Nalundasan was at home celebrating his congressional election victory over Mariano Marcos when he was shot and killed with a .22-caliber bullet fired by the eighteen-year-old Ferdinand Marcos. Three years later, Ferdinand was arrested for Nalundasan's murder. A year later, after having graduated from law school, he was found guilty of the crime. While in jail Marcos spent six months writing his own appeal for a new trial.

When the Supreme Court finally took up Marcos's appeal in 1940, the judge in charge (apparently influenced by Judge Chua) threw out the case. Marcos was a free man. The next day, he returned to the Supreme Court and took the oath to become a lawyer. Wartime activities Throughout Marcos's childhood, the Philippines had been a colony (a foreign region under the control of another country) of the United States. However, the Philippines had been largely self-governing and gained independence in 1946. This occurred only after fierce fighting in the country during World War II (1939–45), the international conflict for control of large areas of the world between the Axis (Germany, Japan, and Italy) and the Allies (United States, Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and others). During Ferdinand Marcos. AP/Wide World Photos . World War II, the Philippines were invaded and occupied by the Japanese, while U.S. forces and Filipino resistance fighters fought to regain control of the country. Marcos emerged from World War II with a reputation as the greatest Filipino resistance leader of the war and the most decorated soldier in the U.S. armed forces.

However, he appeared to have spent the war on both sides, lending support to both the Japanese and the United States. In early 1943 in Manila (the capital of the Philippines), Marcos created a "secret" resistance organization called Ang Mga Maharlika that he claimed consisted of agents working against the Japanese. In fact, the group consisted of many criminals—forgers, pickpockets, gunmen, and gangsters—hoping to make money in the wartime climate. At the war's end, Marcos took up the practice of law again. He often filed false claims in Washington, D.C., on behalf of Filipino veterans seeking back pay (wages owed) and benefits. Encouraged by his success with these claims, he filed a $595 thousand claim on his own behalf, stating that the U.S. Army had taken over two thousand head of cattle from Mariano Marcos's ranch. In fact, this ranch never existed, which made Washington conclude that the cattle never existed. Political career In December 1948 a magazine editor published four articles on Marcos's war experiences, causing Marcos's reputation to grow.

In 1949, campaigning on promises to get veterans' benefits for two million Filipinos, Marcos ran as a Liberal Party candidate for a seat in the Philippine House of Representatives. He won with 70 percent of the vote. In less than a year he was worth a million dollars, mostly because of his American tobacco subsidies (financial assistance to grow tobacco), a huge cigarette smuggling operation, and his practice of pressuring Chinese businesses to cooperate with him. In 1954 he formally met Imelda Romualdez (1929–) and married her. Marcos was reelected twice, and in 1959 he was elected to the Philippine Senate. He was also the Liberal Party's vice-president from 1954 to 1961, when he successfully managed Diosdado Macapagal's (1911–1997) run for the Philippine presidency. As part of his arrangement with Marcos, Macapagal was supposed to step aside after one term to allow Marcos to run for the presidency. When Macapagal did not do this, Marcos joined the opposition Nationalist Party and became their candidate in the 1965 election against Macapagal and easily won.

Marcos was now president of the Philippines. In 1969 Marcos became the first Philippine president to win a second term. However, not all Filipinos were happy with his presidency, and the month following his reelection included the most violent public demonstrations in the history of the country. Three years later, facing growing student protest and a crumbling economy, Marcos declared martial law, a state of emergency in which military authorities are given extraordinary powers to maintain order. Marcos's excuse for declaring martial law was the growing revolutionary movement of the Communist New People's Army, which opposed his government. During the next nine years of martial law, Marcos tripled the armed forces to some two hundred thousand troops, guaranteeing his grip on government. When martial law was lifted in 1981, he kept all the power he had been granted under martial law to himself. Meanwhile the economy continued to crumble while Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos became one of the richest couples in the world. As Marcos's health began to fail and U.S. support for him lessened, opposition to Marcos grew in the Philippine middle class. Final years The Marcos regime began to collapse after the August 1983 assassination (political killing) of Benigno S. Aquino Jr.

(1933–1983), who had been Marcos's main political rival. Aquino was shot and killed when he arrived at the Manila airport after three years in the United States. The killing enraged Filipinos, as did authorities' claim that the murder was the work of a single gunman. A year later, a civilian investigation brought charges against a number of soldiers and government officials, but in 1985 none of them were found guilty. Nevertheless, most Filipinos believe that Marcos was involved in Aquino's killing. Marcos next called for a "snap [sudden] election" to be held early in 1986. In that election, which was marked by violence and charges of fraud, Marcos's opponent was Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino. When the Philippine National Assembly announced that Marcos was the winner, a rebellion in the Philippine military, supported by hundreds of thousands of Filipinos marching in the streets, forced Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos to flee the country. Marcos asked for U.S. aid but was given nothing more than an air force jet, which flew him and Imelda to Hawaii. He remained there until his death on September 28, 1989.

The Marcoses had taken with them more than twenty-eight million cash in Philippine currency. President Aquino's administration said this was only a small part of the Marcoses' illegally gained wealth. For More Information Bonner, Raymond. Waltzing with a Dictator: The Marcoses and the Making of American Policy. New York: Vintage Books, 1988. Celoza, Albert F. Ferdinand Marcos and the Philippines: The Political Economy of Authoritarianism. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1997. Romulo, Beth Day. Inside the Palace: The Rise and Fall of Ferdinand & Imelda Marcos. New York: Putnam, 1987. Seagrave, Sterling. The Marcos Dynasty. New York: Harper & Row, 1988. Spence, Hartzell. For Every Tear a Victory: The Story of Ferdinand E. Marcos New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964. User Contributions: Chris Odchigue Dec 4, 2006 @ 4:16 pm Though i am not a marcos loyalist but the way you made the article is a biased one.

You should have made us see also the other side of the coin... That's why the Philippines is getting worst everytime there is a change of administration it is because we always think of Revenge. We haven't moved on to the brighter side because everyone wants to get back at each other... Be fair when writing your article about Marcoses. sepdeguzman Aug 14, 2007 @ 7:07 am Why we always accused Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos as a dictatorial, corrupt, fraud, deceit, theft, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera..and Benigno Aquino as a hero! Why! He done nothing in our Motherland..just to say something..about Marcos..exposing Marcos of what basis? You people always taking, writing, accusing the dead man..and so the issues are useless.. Why we never write all his accomplishment..and accepting all this accomplishment that he does. anonymous Jan 13, 2008 @ 12:00 am my father served as a personal commanding officer for 17 years in Marcos' presidency. Like your view mine is biased too.

all I saw was the good that he brought to my family and my country. Due to many negative claims that people have against his late ex- president i refuse to affirm my identity. Yet one reason my father retired the Philippine Army was because he could not stomach to salute to the following president Aquino. Even though he could have continued to become a General he retired as a Colonel. Marcos brought culture into the country and made the world know about the Republic of the Philippines. Imelda had many shoes, but brought culture and let the beauty of the philippines bloom. He is but human and did what he thought was good for his country. Danilo Prudente Aug 14, 2009 @ 8:08 am I am now at the United States, all I heard about when you discuss a topic about marcos, is the bad things about them. However, I am grateful to one of the European once told me that becaue of Madam Emelda marcos, Filipino was known how to dress up. with touch of class.... Even in interrior of their mansion, she did a good job in the decorating... congratulations for a good job done....

Danilo Prudente Aug 18, 2009 @ 4:04 am - Comment on the Late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, I knew from my early childhood, Marcos did a good job as a student, as a soldier, as a President and as a Husband and as a Father. People of the Philippines should acknowledge those things and gave a little respect to him. Thank you..... copy paste Aug 25, 2009 @ 3:15 pm the Philippine elite had little need to maintain democratic appearances. Fake war hero Ferdinand Marcos was elected in 1965, declared marshall law in 1972, and then defrauded his countrymen and partied his way into the hearts of U.S. celebrities for the next 14 years. Also included are several chapters on "Yamashita's Gold" -- the apparent source of much of Marcos' wealth. There's still $100 billion or so that hasn't been recovered, which attracted treasure-hunters such as the John Birch Society and, as recently as 1986, John Singlaub, who wanted the gold to fund his anti-communist campaigns.

ruben May 19, 2010 @ 2:02 am Your article, like so many anti-Marcos articles written by persons who are brazenly and rabidly against the former President, makes one wonder. For one thing, if my uncle who fought with Marcos in Bataan were alive today, he would have told you that he personally witnessed the injury sustained by Marcos and that he was the one holding the flashlight while Marcos was operated on right there at the battlefield. So you wont think that this is made up, another soldier, who later became General, was with them. His name was Gen. Alejo Santos, a name known to many Filipinos particularly from Bulacan. So to say that Marcos' wartime exploits were fabrications is to insult not only him but the many gallant Filipinos who fought alongside him in Bataan. Going to the Marcos administration, you make it sound like the man did not accomplish anything at all.

Many Filipinos are enjoying the benefits of the Philippine Heart Center, the Light Rail Transit, Kidney Center, Philippine General Hospital, North and South Expressways, Coastal Road, and so many other infrastructures that even the latter day politicians are trying to get credit for the things Marcos started. With regard to the Bataan nuclear power plant, do you think we would have the power crisis of the 1990s if its operation was not stopped by the Aquino administration? And, look. Corazon Aquino had six years to look into the killing of her husband Benigno. She had all the legal and political backing, or so she said. She could have brought all the facts into the open, once and for all. Why didnt she? So please look deeper and closer into the events and personalities before you disparage everything about Marcos.Its not as simple as writing critical statements without looking into the background. Im sure he was a better man than many of those in government now are, nor can they expect to approximate his achievements. Faith Aug 4, 2010 @ 12:12 pm This is truly a biased article.

We know better than this and though I may not able to witness the time of Pres. Marcos but from what he has done to our country is enough to prove that he is truly a good man! People always remember only the bad things he did and never really realize all those good things he brought to this country. As what our law or constitution say that we can never condemn someone or accused as criminal unless proven guilty. Mrs. Marcos had more than 9 thousand case filed against her but all were dismissed. Why? because they cannot prove they are guilty with all those accusation they pointed out. Don't let the truth be twisted with just some emotions or sympathy with someone else. Truth would really hurt big time but that will make a difference in this country! We shouldn't compromise but let the real democracy be practiced so that the new generation will never get their mind twisted from the truth. Since I was in highschool and that was like 12 years ago, I keep looking for a book that tells me fairly about the time of Pres. Marcos. Hopefully her daughter will write the story of his legacy.

Aug 13, 2010 @ 4:16 pm My only say is the best president of the world ferdinand marcos my idol jansen padayao Sep 6, 2011 @ 2:02 am i agree with Chris Odchigue. Though i'm from ilocos norte where Marcos came from, that means im one of his loyalist, an article like this was never a good one because it's just shows that the writer is an anti marcos. Yes, we have our own ideas on whatever history we have, but it is not right to degrade the marcoses. We known marcos for fraud, corruption, but the philippines during his time was the tiger of asia.# 1 in Asia and I guess #7 in continental. Lots of infrastructure, the ccp complex, ICCP, lung center, heart center, mrt, lrt, NLEX, SLEX, Bataan nuclear plant, gethermal plant, san juanico bridge, a lot..he's te only president who can do this. No one can beat marcos.. Marcos parin,.. VICTORY...

philip Dec 26, 2011 @ 3:03 am Pres. Marcos was an iron man. A country full of corrupt politicians and undisciplined people needs one. He was neither perfect, but he made a lot of good deeds that today's Filipinos are still benefiting. My grandfather, a small-time farmer adored him for making and implementing laws that favored the poor peasants in his time. There are more to learn about Pres. Marcos and the more you get to know them, the more you get awed. Victor D de Castro Aug 6, 2012 @ 10:22 pm Ninoy Aquino would have declared martial law also because he too believed that due to the "cacique" culture which the oligarchs espoused, a strong and authoritarian type of leadership would be capable of utilizing disciplinarian methods and so enforce order within the Philippines! The oligarchs since the before the arrival of the European colonists have always influenced the culture in the islands wherein their control was dependent on dividing those 'under' them who were forced to choose sides as is evident in feudal societies!!

So chaos and divisive tendencies were the norm because just as you divide then conquer after the conquest the fragmentation must continue to prevent any form of unified rebellion!!! Grand visions like '... a new society or bagong lipunan' fall prey to the allure that joining the ranks of the oligarchy and so attaining a higher status hence corrupting the visionary! biscocel Nov 26, 2012 @ 11:11 am Bottom line is this. His legacy is failed leadership. John Adams said, there are two ways to enslave a nation, one by sword and the other by debt. Fact is, his massive accumulation of debt during his reign and the unwise use and stealing of these funds buried the country to this day. I'm sure he had good intentions and did some good but it was overshadowed by the disastrous outcome of his tenure as the president. President Marcos alone is accountable for the success or failure of his leadership. And the fact is, he failed. And the failed policies continued to this day that further enslave & burden the great Filipino people.

The Philippines should have long defaulted on this odious Marcos debt like what Brazil, Mexico, Argentina ( paid 30 cents to the dollar with the bond holders), etc., did to their debts by renegotiating the loans. The country continue to be burdened by the ever-growing debt that the succeeding presidents followed through. A vicious cycle indeed that is breaking the current & coming Filipino generations. This is the fact supported by data. Fishbone Nov 16, 2015 @ 9:09 am Had it been that Edsa People Power happpened earlier after Marcos became president the second time in 1969 then Phil.wouldnt have been in so much mess compared to how economically devastated it was when he was ousted.. his evil works would have been stopped earlier f people have united to overthrow him earlier.

Marcos lift a trail of being known and proven corrupt, one of phils.biggest humnn rights violator, fraud and tyrant khool-ito May 16, 2016 @ 9:09 am Calling him a hero was not a disgrace to our ideology, but a fact was been written, and that prouves that the Philippine law and constitution was to young and need to be revised so to condemn that a persona like him will not be elect again. He had done many but it was all just a coverage from all of what he had taken from the Filipino people. No matter how bad he was he deserve our respect, like those others who had done wrong in their life. Ferdinand Marcos, President of the Philippines, 1965-1986 Ferdinand Marcos President of the Philippines Ferdinand Edralin Marcos was born in Sarrat, on the island of Luzon, on September 11, 1917. Both of his parents were teachers who came from politically important families. Marcos was an honor law student in 1935 when he shot and killed Julio Nalundasan, a political opponent of his father.

He was not arrested until three years later, however, and was then allowed to continue his law studies while awaiting trial. One year after his arrest he was found guilty of murder. While serving his prison sentence, Marcos painstakingly wrote an appeal for a new trial. The Philippine Supreme Court took up his appeal in 1940, and the chief judge almost immediately threw out the original case. Now a free man, Marcos returned to the Supreme Court the day after his release and received his law license from the same judge who had freed him. According to his own biography, Marcos fought against Japanese occupation during World War II , and also served in the U.S. Army with distinction. The extent of his involvement in the resistance movement, as well as his service in the army, has long been in dispute, however, and now appears to have been greatly exaggerated. In late 1948, a magazine editor published a series of articles on Marcos' war experiences, and his reputation amongst the people began to grow quickly. In 1949 he ran as a Liberal Party candidate for a seat in the House of Representatives.

Campaigning on a promise to get millions of dollars worth of benefits for Philippine veterans, he won the election with 70 percent of the vote. He was subsequently re-elected twice, and was then elected to the Senate, in 1959. In 1954, Marcos married Imelda Romualdez, a former beauty queen and daughter of a politically important family. As a couple, the Marcoses would become the most well-known, and the most notorious, of all Philippine politicians. In 1961, Marcos successfully managed the presidential campaign of Diosdado Macapagal, who was supposed to step aside in Marcos' favor after one term in office. When Macapagal failed to fulfill his side of the bargain, Marcos joined the opposition Nationalist Party and became its presidential candidate in 1965. He won the election easily. During his first term in office, Marcos initiated a massive series of public works projects, including highways, civic centers, government buildings, and more. He also lobbied hard for economic and military aid from the United States , which he received. Although he resisted pressure from U.S.

President Lyndon Johnson to become significantly involved in the Second Indochina War, he did send a 2,000-member Philippine Civic Action Group to South Vietnam (1966-1969). In 1969 Marcos became the first Philippine President in history to win election to a second full term. By now, however, the nation was all but paralyzed by slow economic growth, a dramatic increase in crime rates, and a general reduction in quality of life. All this despite the fact that the Marcoses were living in luxury. Major demonstrations began soon after Marcos's second inauguration, and communist insurgents began a violent campaign against the government. In response to the demonstrations and Communist threats, Marcos declared martial law in 1972. He also set aside the newly-ratified constitutional provision against the sitting President from being elected to another term in office. Martial law would remain in effect for the next nine years. By 1981 popular discontent had risen to such a dangerous level that Marcos felt it necessary to suspend martial law in hopes of appeasing the populace. The economy failed to improve, however, and the discontent began growing within the middle class. As discontent grew, U.S. support for Marcos decreased.

In August 1983, Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., a vocal political opponent who had spent three years in self-imposed exile, was gunned down soon after stepping off a plane at the Manila airport. Although a government investigation led to several soldiers and government officials being charged with Aquino's murder, no one was ever found guilty. Aquino's murder, which many Filippinos had been masterminded by Marcos himself, led to greater discontent, which in turn led to more and more violent demonstrations against Ferdinand and Imelda. In 1986, after years of refusing to give up his presidential office, Marcos suddenly scheduled a presidential election. His principal opponent during the subsequent campaign was Corazon Aquino , the widow of his former rival. Both the campaign and the election were racked by massive fraud and intimidation, on both sides. Massive demonstrations broke out almost immediately after the National Assembly declared Marcos the winner, and he was eventually forced to concede the presidency to Aquino. Having lost the presidency and now facing a very real threat from the people he had once ruled over, Ferdinand and Imelda tried to enlist the assistance of the United States. All the U.S.

was willing to provide, however, was an Air Force transport jet, which the Marcoses used to take themselves, along with millions of dollars worth of Philippine assets, to Hawaii. Ferdinand Marcos died in Honolulu, Hawaii, on September 28, 1989. Despite impassioned pleas from Imelda to allow her husband to be buried in the Philippines, he was ultimately buried in Hawaii. Ferdinand Marcos killer file @ moreorless.net.au Ferdinand Marcos Background Spain colonises the Philippine archipelago during the 16th Century, naming the islands after King Philip II and establishing Manila (on the northern island of Luzon) as the capital in 1571. The indigenous population is converted to Roman Catholicism, although Muslim Filipinos in the south and upland tribes in the north resist any challenge to their traditional religious beliefs. When the United States takes control of the archipelago following the 1898 Spanish-American War independence activists wage a guerrilla war against the new colonialists. The rebels are brought under control and political reforms introduced as the country prepares for independence. The self-governing Commonwealth of the Philippines is established in 1935.

Full independence is scheduled for introduction after a further 10 years, but the timetable is interrupted by the Japanese occupation of the country during the Second World War. Independence is finally achieved on 4 July 1946, though as the date would imply, the US retains significant influence. Mini biography Born on 11 September 1917 in Sarrat in the llocos Norte Province at the northwestern tip of Luzon. Both his parents are teachers. After completing his schooling, Marcos enrols to study law at the University of the Philippines. 1939 - In April Marcos is arrested in connection with the 1933 murder of a political rival of his father and has to complete his law degree while in custody. He stands trial in September and is and found guilty. 1940 - Marcos appeals his conviction for murder, representing himself before the Philippine Supreme Court. The appeal is upheld and the conviction overturned. Marcos then becomes a trial lawyer in Manilla. 1941-45 - During the Second World War, Marcos serves as an officer in the Philippine armed forces. After the war he claims to have led a guerrilla unit, the Maharlikas, against the Japanese.

It is later revealed that he played little or no part in anti-Japanese activities during the war. 1946 - Marcos returns to Manila to resume his law practice, becoming an assistant to the Philippines president in 1947. 1949 - Standing as a Liberal Party candidate, Marcos is elected as a representative for his home province to the Philippine Parliament, becoming the youngest member ever to join the House. He successfully stands for reelection in 1953. It is reported that he uses his political influence for personal enrichment and quickly becomes a multimillionaire. 1954 - Marcos marries Imelda Romualdez on 1 May. 1957 - He is again reelected to the House of Representatives. In 1959 he shifts from the lower house to the Senate, topping the election and becoming the opposition leader in parliament. 1961 - Marcos drops plans to stand as the Liberal Party candidate for the presidency on the understanding that his nomination will be supported in 1965. In the meantime he is made head of the Liberal Party. In 1963 he is elected Senate president.

1964 - When the Liberals refuse to honour the 1961 agreement, Marcos switches his allegiance to the Nationalista Party. In November he is nominated as the party's candidate for the presidential election of the following year. 1965 - Marcos is elected president in November, promising improved living conditions for average Filipinos and land reform. While the first is achieved through an ambitious program of public works, the latter is never seriously tackled. He helps found the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), established in 1967. 1969 - Marcos wins a second four-year term as president. He is the first president to be reelected in the short history of the Philippine democracy. However, growth slows and quality of life begins to deteriorate. Violence and crime begin to become everyday occurrences. The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) starts to make inroads in the provinces, with its military wing, the New People's Army (NPA) spreading across the archipelago. On the southern island of Mindanao, Muslim secessionists organise under the banner of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). In August Marcos launches major military campaigns against the NPA and MNLF.

1970 - Social unrest continues to build. Student demonstrators attempt to storm the Malacanang Palace, the presidential mansion, on 30 January. Manila and other large cities are rocked by random bombings. Marcos blames leftists and suspends habeas corpus in August 1971, a prelude to martial law. 1971 - At a constitutional convention opposition delegates introduce a provision to prevent Marcos from remaining as head of state or government once his second term as president has expired. Marcos succeeds in having the ban overturned the following year. 1972 - Using the excuse of an alleged assassination attempt against Defence Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, Marcos declares martial law on 21 September, promising to eliminate poverty and injustice and create a "new society." It is later revealed that the assassination attempt had been staged by the military. Opposition figures (including Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino), journalists, student and labour activists and criminals are arrested and detained at military compounds run by the army and the police. Newspapers are closed and the mass media tightly controlled. Demonstrations, strikes and boycotts are outlawed. Marcos assumes absolute legislative power.

The constitution, which permits presidents only two terms in office, is suspended. 1973 - A new constitution allowing Marcos to stay in office indefinitely and to rule by decree is introduced. The result is confirmed by a fraudulent referendum enabling him to continue as president until the end of martial law and to arbitrarily appoint all government officials, including members of the judiciary. Imelda Marcos is made governor of Manila and minister of human settlements and ecology. Martial law initially brings stability and an economic turnaround but with the costs of reduced social freedoms and increasing corruption. Limited land reforms are introduced but prove ineffective. Manufacturing and business enterprises are nationalised or handed to Marcos's cronies or relatives. Profits are siphoned off for personal enrichment and mismanagement is rife. The armed forces are politicised. Officers from Marcos's home province are promoted to high rank. A childhood friend of Marcos becomes chief-of-staff of the armed forces and head of the internal security network. Officers are appointed to manage several corporations and the military is ordered to take control of all public utilities and the media.

The size of the army is also increased, with numbers swelling from about 58,000 in 1971 to 142,000 in 1983. The military has virtually unlimited powers to search, arrest and detain civilians without reason and without recourse to legal representation. Military tribunals are set up throughout the country to try and sentence detainees. The civilian courts are striped of their power and autonomy, and the Philippine police force is placed under military control. It is estimated that more than 60,000 people are arrested between 1972 and 1977. Politically prisoners are routinely tortured by the military. "Disappearances" and murders of suspected political activists are common, with over 500 cases being recorded for the period 1975-80. Meanwhile, inflation and unemployment rise while already low living standards drop. The brutality of the regime and the stagnating economy causes may Filipinos to turn to the communists for protection and support. 1976 - The constitution is amended further to allow Marcos to continue to rule by degree even after the lifting of martial law.

1977 - Benigno Aquino, leader of the Philippines democratic opposition, is tried by a military court, found guilty of subversion and sentenced to death. The sentence, however, is never applied. 1980 - Aquino, who is ill, is released in May to receive medical treatment in the US. He will remain in the US, becoming a leader of the opposition in exile. 1981 - Marcos proclaims the end of martial law on 17 January. He wins an overwhelming majority in a presidential election held in June, but the vote is rigged and is boycotted by the main opposition groups. 1983 - After three years in exile, Aquino decides to return to the Philippines and help end the Marcos regime. However, minutes after his arrival at Manilla airport on 21 August he is shot in the head and killed. The lone assassin is shot on the spot. Marcos claims the assassin is a communist, but a subsequent government commission of inquiry finds that the military had conspired in Aquino's death. However, the finding is rejected and those accused of the conspiracy are allowed to go free. Aquino's funeral procession draws hundreds of thousands of mourners.

It is the largest demonstration in the history of the Philippines and marks the beginning of the 'People's Power' movement led by Aquino's widow, Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. Meanwhile, the domestic economy grinds to a halt and then begins to contract. But while the salaries of Filipinos are, in real terms, half as much as they were in 1956, the share of the national income held by the wealthiest 10th of the country has increased from 27% to 37%. As living standards decline further the business community begins to speak out against the Marcos regime. The NPA gains further ground in rural areas. In the cities and towns Communist Party influence continues to spread. 1985 - In November Marcos announces that an election for president will be held on 7 February of the following year. Corazon Aquino announces that she will stand as a candidate. 1986 - The election is held on schedule but the results are contested, with the opposition and Roman Catholic Church claiming widespread fraud and intimidation.

Marcos is proclaimed the official winner on 15 February, sparking a rebellion by Defence Minister Enrile, armed forces vice chief-of-staff Fidel Ramos, and the commander of the Philippine police, who also believe that the vote has been rigged. Calling on Marcos to resign, the rebels receive the backing of the church and the support of the people. The armed forces either join the rebellion or, faced-off by massive crowds gathered around the rebel's camp, decline to intervene. On 25 February the Marcoses run, abandoning the presidential palace and flying to Hawaii in the US. Their 20-year regime is at its end. As the Marcoses flee, Corazon Aquino is sworn in as president, riding in on the massive wave of 'People's Power'. When Marcos arrives in Hawaii he is said to be carrying suitcases containing jewels, 24 gold bricks and certificates for billions of dollars of gold bullion. His Swiss bank accounts are estimated to contain between US$3 billion and US$35 billion stolen from his country. The Philippine's foreign debt is about US$28 billion. The new government acts quickly to recover deposits in the Marcoses' Swiss accounts.

A formal request for assistance is sent to the Swiss Federal Police on 7 April. However, it takes 18 years for the US$624 million that is discovered to be returned to the Philippines Treasury. To this day, the existence and whereabouts of the rest of the Marcos billions remains unconfirmed despite detailed investigations by the US Senate. 1987 - It is reported that Marcos is conspiring from his base in Hawaii to launch an armed invasion of the Philippines and again seize power. 1988 - Marcos is indicted by a federal grand jury in New York in the US for offences including mail fraud, fraudulent misappropriation of property and obstruction of justice. 1989 - He dies of a heart attack on 28 September while in exile in Honolulu, Hawaii, and before his trial. Postscript 1990 - In March Imelda Marcos is brought to trial by the federal grand jury in New York but in July is acquitted on all counts. She faces further trials in the Philippines for the misappropriation of public funds but is able to avoid conviction. Meanwhile, on 28 September a special court in the Philippines convicts 16 Filipino military personnel of murdering Aquino and his "assassin".

1993 - Marcos's embalmed body is returned to the Philippines and placed on permanent display in a mausoleum in his home town. Imelda Marcos refuses to allow his body to be buried, saying that despite the Philippine Government's objections it should be interred at the Cemetery of Heroes (Libingan Ng Mga Bayani) in Manilla. 1994 - The District Court of Hawaii finds that Marcos was responsible for executions, disappearances and torture during his rule and awards nearly US$2 billion in damages to thousands of surviving victims. The victims later agree to a US$150 million settlement, but a court in the Philippines blocks payment in 1999. 2003 - In July the Philippine Supreme Court rules that the US$624 million portion of the Marcos fortune discovered in Swiss bank accounts must be handed over to the Philippine Government. The money is to be used to buy land for distribution to poor farmers. The Marcos family immediately appeal against the judgement. The ongoing fight over the Marcos millions is further complicated in September when the District Court of Hawaii places a global freeze order on the Marcos assets. The Philippine Government lodges an appeal against the freeze in a court in California.

On 18 November the Philippine Supreme Court upholds its July ruling and criticises the Hawaiian court for overstepping its jurisdiction. 2004 - On 25 March the international anticorruption organisation Transparency International (TI) names Marcos as the world's second most corrupt political leader of the past two decades, surpassed only by former Indonesian President Suharto . According to TI, Marcos is alleged to have embezzled between US$5 billion and US$10 billion from the Philippines. Meanwhile, a judge in Hawaii orders that US$40 million held by a finance company set up by Marcos be used to start paying the victims of his regime who were awarded damages in 1994. The finance company appeals the ruling. 2005 - In a nationwide poll held in July Filipinos rate Marcos as the best of the country's last five presidents. The former dictator even out-polls his successor, the 'People's Power' leader, Corazon Aquino. 2007 - In September the Transparency International estimate of the amount embezzled by Marcos is quoted in a report by the Stolen Assets Recovery Initiative, a joint venture of the World Bank and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime.

According to the report, "The channels whereby the money was allegedly stolen were diverse, including the takeover of private companies; creation of monopolies for sugar, coconuts, shipping, construction, and the media; fraudulent government loans; bribes from companies; and skimming off foreign loans and raiding the public treasury." 2011 - In January a US District Court judge approves the distribution of compensation to about 7,500 victims of the Marcos regime. Each claimant receives about US$1000. The money is sourced from a US$10 million settlement against the holders of land in Texas and Colorado bought with Marcos funds. The same judge also finds Imelda Marcos and Ferdinand Marcos Jr in contempt for violating a court order requiring them to provide information about the assets of the Marcos estate. They are ordered to pay a fine of US$356.6 million, with the money to be distributed to the victims of the regime. 2016 - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, a supporter of the Marcos family, announces that Marcos's remains can be buried at the Cemetery of Heroes in Manilla. The decision is endorsed by the Philippine Supreme Court on 8 November.

The burial tales place on Friday, 18 November, despite the possibility on an appeal against the Supreme Court ruling. It is a closed ceremony, attended by close family members and a small number of supporters and officials. Soldiers fire a 21-gun salute. The decision to allow the burial to proceed sparks mass protests across the Philippines. Comment Marcos might not be one of the all-time killers but he is certainly one of the biggest thieves in the history of the planet. Estimates of his ill-gotten gains range from US$3 billion to US$35 billion. Some suggest that the true amount is over US$100 billion, perhaps even trillions of dollars. While these latter sums may he fanciful, the legacy of the Marcos dictatorship is all too real - an economy struggling just to pay the interest on its foreign debt and a seriously compromised democracy seemingly unable to shake off entrenched corruption. Witness the debacle of the Estrada presidency. It took Marcos 20 years to pillage and wreck the Philippines. Unfortunately it may take far longer for the damage to be undone. More information FRONTLINE/WORLD . Philippines - Islands Under Siege .

A Conflicted Land: Rebellions, Wars and Insurgencies in the Philippines - 1965-1986: The Marcos Years | PBS Rebellions, Wars and Insurgencies in the Philippines 1965-1986: The Marcos Years America lends a hand to an anticommunist dictator. President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda became infamous for their political corruption and lavish lifestyle. Marcos first made a name for himself in Philippine politics by successfully defending himself against charges that he had shot a political rival. (photo: Francois Lochon/Getty Images) Today, the name Ferdinand Marcos conjures up images of oppressive rule and of his wife Imelda's huge collection of shoes. Marcos was elected president of the Philippines in 1965. His early accomplishments in developing rural areas were overshadowed by his eventual descent into crony capitalism and dictatorship. In 1972, he declared martial law: Constitutional rights were suspended, the legislature was closed and Marcos held on to power for another 14 years. Successive American administrations tolerated and supported Marcos in spite of his authoritarianism, seeking his help to maintain a sizable military presence in the country.

America's bases in the Philippines played a vital role during the Vietnam War, and after the fall of South Vietnam in 1975, they served as a counterweight to the Soviet naval base in Cam Ranh Bay. But the U.S. bases were a contentious issue for many Filipinos, who saw them as further evidence of America's enduring colonial meddling. While the bases did create jobs and boost the local economy, they also fueled crime and prostitution in adjacent communities. President Lyndon B. Johnson meets with Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos during a conference in Manila, 1966. (photo: Yoichi Yokamoto/National Archives) In the early 1970s, a Maoist rebel group called the New People's Army (NPA) and a Muslim separatist group called the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) formed in the southern part of the country. The NPA expanded to include as many as 25,000 members while the MNLF received aid and arms from Libya and Iran. The United States, fearing communist insurgency, sent advisors to train the Philippine army, as well as millions of dollars in military aid and weapons.

Corazon "Cory" Aquino is sworn in as president, 1986. Aquino entered politics after her husband, a prominent opposition leader, was assassinated by the Marcos government. (photo: Robin Moyer/Getty Images) The United States barely protested when Marcos used the struggle against insurgents as an excuse to crack down on all political opponents. Asked about the situation in the Philippines in 1984, President Ronald Reagan replied, "I know there are things there in the Philippines that do not look good to us from the standpoint right now of democratic rights, but what is the alternative? It is a large communist movement." By the mid-1980s, Marcos's unpopularity among Filipinos was impossible to ignore. He faced not only a guerrilla war but also widespread public unrest. Hoping to placate his critics, Marcos announced a "snap" presidential election to be held in February 1986. Despite the government's attempts to fix the results, Marcos lost to Corazon Aquino, the wife of assassinated opposition leader Benigno Aquino.

But Marcos stubbornly refused to concede defeat, even as senior members of his military defected and thousands of unarmed Filipinos took to the streets in an unprecedented display of "people power." The tense standoff ended when, at the urging of the United States, Marcos stepped down and went into exile. Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines Updated August 09, 2016. Ferdinand Marcos ruled the Philippines with an iron fist from 1966 to 1986. Critics charged Marcos and his regime with crimes like corruption and nepotism. Marcos himself is said to have exaggerated his role in World War II. He also murdered a family political rival. So, how did this man stay in power? Marcos created an elaborate cult of personality. When that state-mandated adulation proved insufficient for him to maintain control, President Marcos declared martial law. Early Life: On September 11, 1917, Josefa Edralin gave birth to a son in the village of Sarrat, on the island of Luzon, the Philippines. The boy was named Ferdinand Edralin Marcos.

Persistent rumors say that Ferdinand's biological father was a man named Ferdinand Chua, who served as his godfather. Officially, however, Josefa's husband, Mariano Marcos, was the child's father. Young Ferdinand Marcos grew up in a privileged milieu. He excelled at school, and took an eager interest in martial skills such as boxing and shooting. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Education: Marcos attended school in Manila. His godfather, Ferdinand Chua, may have helped to pay for his educational expenses. During the 1930s, the young man studied law at the University of the Philippines, outside of Manila. This legal training would come in handy when Marcos was arrested and tried for a 1935 political murder. In fact, he continued his studies while in prison, and even passed the bar exam with flying colors from his cell. Meanwhile, Mariano Marcos ran for a seat on the National Assembly in 1935, but was defeated for a second time by Julio Nalundasan.

Marcos Assassinates Nalundasan: On September 20, 1935, as he was celebrating his victory over Marcos, Nalundasan was shot dead at his home. Mariano's 18-year-old son Ferdinand had used his shooting skills to kill Nalundasan with a .22-caliber rifle. The young law student was indicted for the killing, and convicted by a district court in November of 1939. He appealed to the Supreme Court of the Philippines in 1940. Representing himself, the young man managed to get his conviction overturned despite strong evidence of his guilt. Mariano Marcos and (by now) Judge Chua likely used their political power to influence the outcome of the case. World War II: At the outbreak of World War II, Ferdinand Marcos was practicing law in Manila. He soon joined the Filipino Army, and fought against the Japanese invasion as a combat intelligence officer in the 21st Infantry Division. Marcos saw action in the three-month-long Battle of Bataan, in which the Allied forces lost Luzon to the Japanese.

He survived the Bataan Death March , a week-long ordeal that killed about 1/4 of Japan's American and Filipino POWs on Luzon. Marcos escaped the prison camp and joined the resistance. He later claimed to have been a guerrilla leader, but that claim has been disputed. Post-War Era: Detractors say that Marcos spent the early post-war period filing false compensation claims for wartime damages with the United States government, such as a claim for almost $600,000 for 2,000 imaginary cattle of Mariano Marcos's. In any case, Ferdinand Marcos certainly did serve as a special assistant to the first president of the newly-independent Republic of the Philippines, Manuel Roxas, in 1946-47. Marcos served in the House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the Senate from 1963 to 1965 as a member of Roxas's Liberal Party. Rise to Power: In 1965, Marcos hoped to secure the Liberal Party nomination for the presidency.

The sitting president, Diosdado Macapagal (father of current president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), had promised to step aside, but reneged and ran again. Marcos resigned from the Liberal Party and joined the Nationalists. He won the election, and was sworn in on December 30, 1965. President Marcos promised economic development, improved infrastructure, and good government to the people of the Philippines. He also pledged help to South Vietnam and the US in the Vietnam War , sending more than 10,000 Filipino soldiers to fight. Cult of Personality: Ferdinand Marcos was the first president to be reelected to a second term in the Philippines. Whether his reelection was rigged is a subject of debate. In any case, he consolidated his hold on power by developing a cult of personality, like those of Stalin, Mao, or Niyazov of Turkmenistan. Marcos required every business and classroom in the country to display his official presidential portrait. He also posted giant billboards bearing propagandistic messages across the country. A handsome man, Marcos had married the former beauty queen Imelda Romualdez in 1954. Her glamour added to his popularity.

Martial Law: Within weeks of his reelection, Marcos faced violent public protests against his rule by students and other citizens. Students demanded educational reforms; they even commandeered a fire truck and crashed it into the Presidential Palace in 1970. The Filipino Communist Party reemerged as a threat. Meanwhile, a Muslim separatist movement in the south urged succession. President Marcos responded to all of these threats by declaring martial law on September 21, 1972. He suspended habeas corpus, imposed a curfew and jailed opponents like Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino . This period of martial law lasted until January 1981. Marcos the Dictator: Under martial law, Ferdinand Marcos took extraordinary powers for himself. He used the country's military as a weapon against his political enemies, displaying a typically ruthless approach to opposition. Marcos also awarded a huge number of government posts to his and Imelda's relatives. Imelda herself was a member of Parliament (1978-84); Governor of Manila (1976-86); and Minister of Human Settlements (1978-86). Marcos called parliamentary elections on April 7, 1978.

None of the members of jailed former Senator Benigno Aquino's LABAN party won their races. Election monitors cited widespread vote-buying by Marcos loyalists. Martial Law Lifted: In preparation for Pope John Paul II's visit, Marcos lifted martial law on January 17, 1981. Nonetheless, Marcos pushed through legislative and Constitutional reforms to ensure that he would retain all of his extended powers. It was purely a cosmetic change. Presidential Election of 1981: For the first time in 12 years, the Philippines held a presidential election on June 16, 1981. Marcos ran against two opponents: Alejo Santos of the Nacionalista Party, and Bartolome Cabangbang of the Federal Party. LABAN and Unido both boycotted the election. In proper dictator fashion, Marcos received 88% of the vote. He took the opportunity in his inauguration ceremony to note that he would like the job of "Eternal President." Death of Aquino: Opposition leader Benigno Aquino was released in 1980 after nearly 8 years in prison. He went into exile in the United States.

In August of 1983, Aquino returned to the Philippines. Upon arrival, he was hustled off the plane, and shot dead on the runway at the Manila Airport by a man in a military uniform. The government claimed that Rolando Galman was the assassin; Galman was immediately killed by airport security. Marcos was ill at the time, recovering from a kidney transplant. Imelda may have ordered Aquino's killing, which sparked massive protests. Marcos Falls: August 13, 1985 was the beginning of the end for Marcos. Fifty-six members of Parliament called for his impeachment for graft, corruption, and other high crimes. Marcos called a new election for 1986. His opponent was Corazon Aquino , the widow of Benigno. Marcos claimed a 1.6 million vote victory, but observers found a 800,000 win by Aquino. A "People Power" movement quickly developed, driving the Marcoses into exile in Hawaii, and affirming Aquino's election. The Marcoses had embezzled billions of dollars from the Philippines.

Imelda famously left over 2,500 pairs of shoes in her closet when she fled Manila. Ferdinand Marcos died of multiple organ failure in Honolulu on September 28, 1989. He left behind a reputation as one of the most corrupt and ruthless leaders in modern Asia. The Philippines: The Marcos Years Marcos' Rise and Fall His rise to absolute power, the corrupt practices within his administration and the ignoble demise of Ferdinand E. Marcos continue to elicit garish political and personal scandal. The National Security Archive's Philippines collection documents the often conflicting interests which arose between the U.S. and the Marcos presidency; it is a quintessential case study of U.S policy towards a strategic Third World ally. Focus of the Collection The Philippines document collection contains over 23,000 pages only recently made available to the public. It provides a primary source for the analysis of U.S. policy toward the Philippines during the 20-year rule of Ferdinand E. Marcos.

The bulk of the collection is composed of documents produced between late 1965, when Marcos ran successfully for his first term as President of the Philippines, and the evening hours of February 25, 1986, when Marcos, his wife Imelda, and their 60-member entourage fled the grounds of the Presidential palace in Manila for exile in Hawaii. Relevant legal papers, including the 1986 indictment filed against the Marcoses in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, complete the set. Access to Critical Events Describing U.S.-Philippines Relations Critical events in the period include the creation--with the covert support of the Johnson administration--of a Philippine civic action group to send to Vietnam; state visits to the United States by President and Mrs. Marcos in 1966 and 1982; the imposition of martial law in September 1972; the assassination of opposition leader Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. in August 1983 and the subsequent reshaping of U.S.

policy toward the Philippines; the emergence of "crony capitalism" during the 1970s; visits to the Philippines by Presidents Johnson, Nixon and Ford in 1966, 1969 and 1975, respectively; the rise of Communist and Muslim insurgencies during the 1970s and 1980s; the emergence following the imposition of martial law of a small, albeit vocal and influential, opposition movement in the United States; and a series of elections culminating in the fraudulent one in 1986 that led to Marcos's demise Unprecedented Indexing Makes Every Document Accessible The Archive prepares extensive, printed finding aids for its collections. The Guide contains an events chronology, glossaries of key individuals, organizations, events, legal terms and acronyms, a selected bibliography of relevant secondary sources and a document catalog. The catalog, organized chronologically, provides bibliographic information about the documents and lists all the indexing phrases generated for each. This facilitates browsing through the document collection and allows researchers to preview key details within documents before perusing the microfiche. The Index contains rich contextual references to subjects, individuals and organizations.

The detail provided in each allows researchers to pinpoint relevant documents in particular areas of study. Primary Source Materials Facilitate In-depth Research The Philippines document set provides a quintessential case study of U.S. policy towards a strategic Third World ally. In these primary source documents--many recently obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests--researchers will find a wealth of information covering research topics including: Myriad interactions among U.S. officials and Philippine leaders on human rights issues The Office of Public Safety Police training programs U.S. assessments of leftist and Muslim guerrilla strength and objectives Inroads into the Philippine economy by the Marcoses and their close supporters Debate within the U.S. government over the value of support for loans to the Philippines from international financial institutions The Philippines as a test case for U.S. involvement with a regime whose popular support was eroding Coverage of individuals, movements and ideas that continue to figure prominently in the Philippines Scholars of U.S. government and international relations Specialists in East Asian and Third World affairs Librarians and bibliographers The Philippines: U.S.

Policy During the Marcos Years, 1965-1986 Content: Reproduces on microfiche over 23,000 pages of documents recording U.S. policy toward the Philippines during the 20-year rule of Ferdinand Marcos. Arrangement and Access: They are arranged chronologically. For ease of use, the unique identification numbers assigned to documents are printed in eye-legible type at the top right hand corner of the microfiche strip. Standards: Documents are reproduced on silver halide positive-reading microfiche at a nominal reduction of 24x in envelopes. They are archivally permanent and conform to NMA and BSI standards. Any microfiche found to be physically substandard will be replaced free of charge. Indexing: A printed guide and index accompanies the microfiche collection. Volume I contains an events chronology, glossaries of names and organizations, a bibliography of secondary sources and a chronological listing of documents. Volume ll is an index providing in-depth, document-level access to subjects, individuals and organizations. Date of Publication:

Question: In which year was Ferdinand Marcos first elected as President of the Philippines?
Answer: 1965