Ferdinand Marcos

For his son, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., see Bongbong Marcos.

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Edralin and the surname or paternal family name is Marcos.

Ferdinand Marcos
Marcos in 1982
10th President of the Philippines
In office
December 30, 1965 – February 25, 1986
Prime Minister
Vice President
  • Fernando Lopez (1965–1972)
  • Abolished (1972–1984)
  • Vacant (1984–1986)
Preceded byDiosdado Macapagal
Succeeded byCorazon Aquino
3rd Prime Minister of the Philippines
In office
June 12, 1978 – June 30, 1981
Preceded byOffice re-established;
position previously held by Pedro Paterno
Succeeded byCesar Virata
Secretary of National Defense
In office
August 28, 1971 – January 3, 1972
PresidentHimself
Preceded byJuan Ponce Enrile
Succeeded byJuan Ponce Enrile
In office
December 31, 1965 – January 20, 1967
PresidentHimself
Preceded byMacario Peralta
Succeeded byErnesto Mata
Political offices 1949‍–‍1965
9th President of the Senate of the Philippines
In office
April 5, 1963 – December 30, 1965
PresidentDiosdado Macapagal
Preceded byEulogio Rodriguez
Succeeded byArturo Tolentino
Senate Minority Leader
In office
January 25, 1960 – January 22, 1962
Preceded byAmbrosio Padilla
Succeeded byEstanislao Fernandez
Senator of the Philippines
In office
December 30, 1959 – December 30, 1965
Member of the House of Representatives from Ilocos Norte's 2nd district
In office
December 30, 1949 – December 30, 1959
Preceded byPedro Albano
Succeeded bySimeon M. Valdez
Personal details
Born
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos

(1917-09-11)September 11, 1917
Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, Philippines[a]
DiedSeptember 28, 1989(1989-09-28) (aged 72)
Honolulu, Hawaii, US
Resting place
Political partyKilusang Bagong Lipunan (1978–89)
Other political
affiliations
Spouses
Carmen Ortega (common‑law)
​
​
(before 1954)​
[4]
​
(m. 1954)​
Children9, including Imee, Bongbong, Irene, and Aimee
Parent
RelativesMarcos family
Alma materUniversity of the Philippines Manila (LL.B)
Occupation
Signature
Nicknames
  • Apo Lakay
  • Ferdie
  • Macoy
Military service
Allegiance
  • Philippines
  • United States[b]
Years of service1942–1945
Rank
Unit
Battles/warsWorld War II
This article is part of a series
about
Ferdinand Marcos

Presidency

First term
Second term
Martial law
Third and fourth terms

Family

Unexplained wealth

Legacy

Related


President of the Philippines

Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr.[c] (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator[7][8][9] and kleptocrat[10][11][12] who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. Marcos ruled the country under martial law from 1972 to 1981,[13] and with vastly expanded powers under the 1973 Constitution until he was deposed by a nonviolent revolution in 1986. Marcos described his rule's philosophy as "constitutional authoritarianism"[14][15]: 414  under his Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (New Society Movement). One of the most controversial figures in Filipino history, Marcos's regime was infamous for its corruption,[16][17][18] extravagance,[19][20][21] and brutality.[22][23][24]

Marcos gained political success by claiming to have been the "most decorated war hero in the Philippines",[25] but many of his claims have been found to be false,[26][27][28] with United States Army documents describing his wartime claims as "fraudulent" and "absurd".[29][30] After World War II, he became a lawyer, and then served in the Philippine House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the Philippine Senate from 1959 to 1965. He was elected president of the Philippines in 1965 and presided over an economy that grew during the beginning of his 20-year rule[31] but would end in the loss of livelihood and extreme poverty for almost half the Philippine population,[32][33] together with a crushing debt crisis.[34][33] He pursued an aggressive program of infrastructure development funded by foreign debt,[35][36] making him popular during his first term, although it triggered an inflationary crisis which led to social unrest in his second term.[37][38] Marcos placed the Philippines under martial law on September 23, 1972,[39][40] shortly before the end of his second term. Martial law was ratified in 1973 through a fraudulent referendum.[41]: 191  The constitution was revised, media outlets were silenced,[42] and violence and oppression were used[24] against the political opposition,[43][44] Muslims,[45] suspected communists,[46][47] and ordinary citizens.[44]

After being elected for a third term in the 1981 presidential election and referendum, Marcos's popularity suffered greatly, due to the economic collapse that began in early 1983 and the public outrage over the assassination of opposition leader Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. later that year. This discontent, the resulting resurgence of the opposition in the 1984 parliamentary election, and the discovery of documents exposing his financial accounts and false war records led Marcos 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.[48] 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".[49] Marcos then fled with his family to Hawaii.[50] He was succeeded as president by Aquino's widow, Corazon "Cory" Aquino.[51][52][53]

According to source documents provided by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG),[54] the Marcos family stole US$5 billion–$10 billion from the Central Bank of the Philippines.[55][56] The PCGG also maintained that the Marcos family enjoyed a decadent lifestyle, taking away billions of dollars[57] from the Philippines[58][59] between 1965 and 1986. His wife, Imelda Marcos, made infamous in her own right by the excesses that characterized her and her husband's "conjugal dictatorship",[60][61][62] is the source of the term Imeldific.[63] Two of their children, Imee and Bongbong, are active in Philippine politics, with Bongbong having been elected president in the 2022 presidential election. Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos held the Guinness World Record for the largest-ever theft from a government for decades,[64] although Guinness took the record down from their website while it underwent periodic review a few weeks before the 2022 election.[65]


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference contested was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Pedroza, Stephen (August 31, 2016). "Are we really burying Marcos' 'body'". Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  3. ^ Zambrano, Chiara (July 4, 2011). "Marcos in mausoleum-Wax or real?". Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference loveLiesLoot was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011). Roach, Peter; Setter, Jane; Esling, John (eds.). "Marcos". Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 305. ISBN 978-0-521-15255-6.
  6. ^ The New Websters Dictionary of the English Language. Lexicon Publications, Inc. 1994. p. 609. ISBN 0-7172-4690-6.
  7. ^ Bonner, William; Bonner, Raymond (1987). Waltzing with a Dictator: The Marcoses and the Making of American Policy. Times Books. ISBN 978-0-8129-1326-2.
  8. ^ Fuentecilla, Jose V. (April 1, 2013). Fighting from a Distance: How Filipino Exiles Helped Topple a Dictator. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-09509-2. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  9. ^ "Marcos: Rise and fall of a dictator". Philippine Daily Inquirer. November 19, 2016. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  10. ^ David, Chaikin; Sharman, J.C. (2009). "The Marcos Kleptocracy". Corruption and Money Laundering: A Symbiotic Relationship. Palgrave Series on Asian Governance. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 153–186. doi:10.1057/9780230622456_7. ISBN 978-0-230-61360-7. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  11. ^ Roa, Ana (September 29, 2014). "Regime of Marcoses, cronies, kleptocracy". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  12. ^ Root, Hilton L. (2019). "Lootable Resources and Political Virtue: The Economic Governance of Lee Kuan Yew, Ferdinand Marcos, and Chiang Kai-shek Compared". In Mendoza, Ronald U.; Beja, Edsel L. Jr.; Teehankee, Julio C.; La Viña, Antonio G. M.; Villamejor-Mendoza, Maria Fe (eds.). Building Inclusive Democracies In ASEAN. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. pp. 225–241. doi:10.1142/9789813236493_0013. ISBN 978-981-3236-50-9. S2CID 158645388. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  13. ^ Lacsamana, Leodivico Cruz (1990). Philippine History and Government (Second ed.). Phoenix Publishing House, Inc. ISBN 971-06-1894-6. p. 189.
  14. ^ Celoza, Albert F. (1997). Ferdinand Marcos and the Philippines: The Political Economy of Authoritarianism. Praeger Publishers. ISBN 978-0-275-94137-6. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference PalgraveNewHistoryofSEA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Shleifer, Andrei; Vishny, Robert W. (August 1, 1993). "Corruption*". The Quarterly Journal of Economics. 108 (3): 599–617. doi:10.2307/2118402. ISSN 0033-5533. JSTOR 2118402. S2CID 265951232. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  17. ^ Quah, Jon S.T. (2010). "Curbing Corruption in the Philippines: Is this an Impossible Dream". Philippine Journal of Public Administration. 54 (1–2): 1–43. Archived from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2020 – via University of the Philippines Diliman.
  18. ^ Hodess, Robin; Inowlocki, Tania; Rodriguez, Diana; Wolfe, Toby, eds. (2004). Global Corruption Report 2004 (PDF). Sterling, VA, USA: Pluto Press in association with Transparency International. pp. 13, 101. ISBN 0-7453-2231-X. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  19. ^ Traywick, Catherine (January 16, 2014). "Shoes, Jewels, and Monets: The Immense Ill-Gotten Wealth of Imelda Marcos". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  20. ^ "The weird world of Imelda Marcos". The Independent. February 25, 1986. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  21. ^ Laurie, Jim (1986). "Excerpt – Imelda Marcos from ABC 20/20 March 1986". ABC News. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021.
  22. ^ Conde, Carlos H. (July 8, 2007). "Marcos family returning to the limelight in the Philippines". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference amnestyInternational1975 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ a b "Alfred McCoy, Dark Legacy: Human rights under the Marcos regime". Ateneo de Manila University. September 20, 1999. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  25. ^ Bueza, Michael (August 20, 2016). "Marcos' World War II 'medals' explained". Rappler. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  26. ^ "Marcos flees at last". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  27. ^ Maynigo, Benjamin. "Marcos fake medals redux (Part II)". Asian Journal USA. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
  28. ^ Bondoc, Jarius (April 8, 2011). "Suspicions resurface about Marcos heroism". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  29. ^ Cite error: The named reference JeffGerth&JoelBrinkley19860123 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  30. ^ Maynigo, Benjamin. "Marcos fake medals redux (Part I)". Asian Journal USA. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017.
  31. ^ "GDP (constant LCU) – Data". data.worldbank.org. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  32. ^ "Under Marcos dictatorship unemployment worsened, prices soared, poverty persisted". IBON Foundation. November 25, 2016. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  33. ^ a b de Dios, Emmanuel S. (November 16, 2015). "The truth about the economy under the Marcos regime". Business World. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  34. ^ Yamsuan, Cathy (December 12, 2011). "Open records of Marcos' spy agency, Enrile urges". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  35. ^ Mendoza, Ronald (February 26, 2016). "Ferdinand Marcos' economic disaster". Rappler. Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  36. ^ Galang, Ping (February 21, 2011). "The economic decline that led to Marcos' fall". GMA News. Archived from the original on May 29, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  37. ^ Balbosa, Joven Zamoras (1992). "IMF Stabilization Program and Economic Growth: The Case of the Philippines". Journal of Philippine Development. XIX (35).
  38. ^ Cororaton, Cesar B. "Exchange Rate Movements in the Philippines". DPIDS Discussion Paper Series 97-05: 3, 19.
  39. ^ "Declaration of Martial Law". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  40. ^ "FM Declares Martial Law". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Philippines Sunday Express. September 24, 1972. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  41. ^ Schirmer, Daniel B.; Shalom, Stephen Roskamm (1987). The Philippines Reader: A history of Colonialism, Neocolonialism, Dictatorship and Resistance. South End Press. ISBN 978-0-89608-275-5.
  42. ^ Rivett, Rohan (March 13, 1973). "The Mark of Marcos – Part I: A deafening silence in the Philippines". The Age. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  43. ^ Kushida, Kenji (2003). "The Political Economy of the Philippines Under Marcos – Property Rights in the Philippines from 1965 to 1986" (PDF). Stanford Journal of East Asian Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 1, 2014.
  44. ^ a b Panti, Llanesca (October 16, 2018). "Imee done with apologizing for atrocities during Marcos regime". GMA News. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  45. ^ "Philippine Church Leaders Fear Failure of Government-Muslim Negotiations". UCA News. February 10, 1987. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  46. ^ Cortez, Kath M. (September 21, 2019). "Martial Law veterans recall fighting dark days of dictatorship". Davao Today. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  47. ^ "Why the Late Philippine Dictator Was No Hero". Human Rights Watch. November 8, 2016. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  48. ^ "From Aquino's Assassination to People's Power". Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  49. ^ Hoffman, David; Cannon, Lou; Coleman, Milton; Dewar, Helen; Goshko, John M.; Oberdorfer, Don; W, George C. (February 26, 1986). "In Crucial Call, Laxalt Told Marcos: 'Cut Cleanly'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  50. ^ Reaves, Joseph A. (February 26, 1986). "Marcos Flees, Aquino Rules – Peaceful Revolt Ends In Triumph". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014.
  51. ^ Benigno Aquino Jr. (August 21, 1983). "The undelivered speech of Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. upon his return from the U.S., August 21, 1983". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  52. ^ Laurie, Jim (August 21, 1983). "Last interview with and footage of Ninoy Aquino assassination". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  53. ^ Kashiwara, Ken (October 16, 1983). "Aquino's Final Journey". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  54. ^ Pazzibugan, Dona Z. (February 13, 2014). "PCGG recovers $29M from Marcos loot". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  55. ^ "Hail to the thief". The Economist. November 12, 2016. Archived from the original on August 4, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  56. ^ "Chronology of the Marcos Plunder". Asian Journal. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  57. ^ Mogato, Manuel (February 24, 2016). "Philippines still seeks $1 billion in Marcos wealth 30 years after his ouster". Reuters. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  58. ^ Tantiangco, Aya; Bigtas, Jannielyn Ann (February 25, 2016). "What Marcoses brought to Hawaii after fleeing PHL in '86: $717-M in cash, $124-M in deposit slips". GMA News. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  59. ^ Heilprin, John (April 13, 2015). "Political Will guides Marcos case in Philippines". Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  60. ^ Mijares, Primitivo (1976). The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos-1 (PDF). San Francisco: Union Square Publications. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  61. ^ Warde, Ibrahim (May 25, 2011). "From Marcos to Gaddafi: Kleptocrats, Old and New". The World Post. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  62. ^ Doyo, Ma. Ceres P. (October 12, 2014). "'Imeldific' collection of artworks (partial list)". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  63. ^ Macapendeg, Mac (September 21, 2012). "Martial Law fashion: The Imeldific and the Third World look". GMA News. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  64. ^ "Greatest robbery of a Government". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  65. ^ Patag, Kristine Joy (March 18, 2022). "Fact check: Guinness not disputing historical fact on 'greatest robbery of a gov't'". Philstar.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.