8 – Ferdinand Marcos
The underhand actions of Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the Philippines from 1972 until 1986, are, some argue, still having an impact on people today, nearly four decades since the end of his time in office. Marcos was elected President of the Philippines in 1965. His first term was dominated by his decision to commit Philippine troops to the Vietnam War which was raging at the time. He also concentrated efforts on trying to improve construction projects in the Philippines and on boosting the country’s rice production.
Marcos was elected for a second term in 1969. His campaign was dogged by violence and fraud and was believed to have been funded by millions from the Philippines’ national treasury. The turmoil from the campaign was so bad it became known as the “First Quarter Storm” and leftist activists took to the streets to demonstrate against (among other things) Marcos’ dictatorial leadership style. In 1972, Marcos declared martial law in the Philippines. His wife, Imelda, a consort who had very expensive taste and amassed a thousand pairs of shoes along with extensive Manhattan real estate, became a state official who frequently appointed family members and friends to lucrative roles in government and industry.
Under Marcos, the government often seized private businesses which were handed over to the friends and relatives of members of the regime. This “crony capitalism” at the heart of the Philippines created economic instability throughout the country. Marcos may have had successes through big infrastructure projects and harvesting, he boosted the military with large numbers of recruits, restricted public discourse, took over the media and incarcerated opponents.
In August 1983, Bengino Aquino Jr, Marcos’ most potent rival, returned from exile to try to bring hope to the Philippines. He was assassinated as he stepped off his plane. In response, Marcos launched an inquiry which implicated the Philippine military in the assassination, though suspicions remained that Marcos or his wife were responsible. Marcos’s core supporters gradually began to favor an end to his power, especially in light of the declining Philippine economy. During 1985, Marcos had to contend with a Communist insurrection and a resolution signed by 56 members of the Philippine assembly which called for his impeachment for enriching his personal funds by underhand means.
Marcos called special elections to try and calm the growing opposition. He defeated the opposition candidate – Corazon Aquino, the widow of Benigno Aquino -and retained the presidency but he was accused of fraud from many quarters. There followed a fraught stand-off between Marcos’ supporters and Aquino’s. Thousands of citizens took to the streets to support a non-violent uprising against Marcos. With unrest increasing, Marcos and his family were air-lifted from the presidential palace in Manila to exile in Hawaii. Evidence then emerged that Marcos had stolen 10 billion from the Philippine economy, leading to a federal grand jury indicting Marcos and his wife. Marcos died in 1989 from a cardiac arrest before the trial concluded. He was therefore never properly held to account for his corruption.