The Marcos Administration

PRMalit III

FERDINAND EMANUEL EDRALIN MARCOS SR.

• 10th President of the Republic of the Philippines

• In office December 30, 1965 – February 25, 1986

THE EARLY YEARSPresident Marcos, faced with the challenge of corruption in the government, reorganized the Armed Forces, the Philippine Constabulary, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue. In an attempt to solve the problem of technical smuggling, the Bureau of Customs was also reorganized. The administration, with a goal to strengthen the local economy, devised construction programs and irrigation projects. The promotion of Philippine heritage, culture, and arts was achieved through the establishment of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in 1969.

Under the Marcos administration, the country hosted the Manila Summit in 1966. The conference aimed to resolve the Vietnam War, and sought the restoration of peace and the promotion of economic stability and development throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Among the laws approved by President Marcos were: Republic Act No. 5186 or the Investments Incentives Act; Republic Act No. 4864 or the Police Act of 1966; and Republic Act No. 5173, which established the Philippine Coast Guard.

President Marcos won his re-election bid in the 1969 presidential elections against Liberal Party’s Sergio Osmeña Jr. President Marcos gained 5,017,343 votes or 61.47% of the electorate to become only the second Philippine president in history to win reelection and the first to do so in the Third Republic.

PLAZA MIRANDA BOMBINGThe Liberal Party's campaign rally was held to proclaim the candidacies of eight Senatorial bets as well as the candidate for the Mayoralty race in Manila. As a crowd of about 4,000 gathered to hear speeches, two hand grenades were reportedly tossed on stage. Among those killed instantly were a 5-year-old child and The Manila Times photographer Ben Roxas. Almost everyone on stage was injured, including incumbent Senator Jovito Salonga, Senator Eddie Ilarde, Senator Eva Estrada-Kalaw, Liberal Party president Gerardo Roxas, Sergio Osmeña, Jr., son of former President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Sergio Osmeña, Atty. Martin B. Isidro Councilor, Vice Mayor and Congressman for the City of Manila, and Ramon Bagatsing, the party's Mayoral Candidate for the City of Manila.

PLAZA MIRANDA BOMBINGThe Sequence showed the events that took place during the campaign rally at Plaza Miranda

1081Citing an intensifying Communist insurgency, a series of bombings, and the controversial assassination attempt on then-Defense Minister (now Senator) Juan Ponce Enrile, President Marcos enacted the Proclamation which enabled him to rule by military power.He initially signed the Proclamation on 17 September 1972, but it was postdated to 21 September because of his superstitions and numerological beliefs that were related to the number seven. Marcos formally announced the Proclamation in a live television and radio broadcast from Malacañang Palace a further two days later on the evening of 23 September 1972.

THE ASSASSINATION OF NINOY AQUINOThe assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr., former Philippine Senator, took place on Sunday, August 21, 1983 at Manila International Airport. Aquino, also a longtime political opponent of President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos, had just landed in his home country after a 3-year self-imposed exile in the United States when he was shot in the head while being escorted from an aircraft to a vehicle that was waiting to transport him to prison. Also killed was Rolando Galman, who was later implicated in Aquino's murder.

THE AGRAVA COMMISSIONOn October 14, 1983, President Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 1886, creating an independent board of inquiry, called the "Agrava Commission" or "Agrava Board". The board was composed of former Court of Appeals Justice Corazon J. Agrava as chairwoman, with lawyer Luciano E. Salazar, businessman Dante G. Santos, labor leader Ernesto F. Herrera, and educator Amado C. Dizon.

The Agrava Fact-Finding Board convened on November 3, 1983. Before it could start its work President Marcos accused the Communists of the killing of Senator Aquino: The decision to eliminate the former Senator, Marcos claimed, was made by none other than the general-secretary of the Philippine Communist Party, Rodolfo Salas. He was referring to his earlier claim that Aquino had befriended and subsequently betrayed his Communist comrades.

1986 SNAP ELECTIONAfter being dared by an American journalist, President Ferdinand E. Marcos declared a snap election during an interview on the American Broadcasting Company political affairs programme, This Week with David Brinkley in November 1985. On 3 December, the Batasang Pambansa passed a law setting the date of the election on 7 February 1986. On 4 February 1986, Marcos declared 6 and 7 February as nationwide non-working special public holidays to "give all registered voters fullest opportunity to exercise their right of suffrage

THE COMELEC 35On February 9 of 1986, “thirty-five tabulators/computer workers, officially composed of 30 women and 5 men manning the Comelec’s quick count computer terminals walked out of the PICC Plenary Hall in protest of what they said was the cheating they were being made party to” (Alex Baluyut) referring to the tabulation results of the 1986 Philippine Presidential Snap Election.

EDSA PEOPLE POWER February 25, 1986 marked a significant national event that has been engraved in the hearts and minds of every Filipino. This part of Philippine history gives us a strong sense of pride especially that other nations had attempted to emulate what we have shown the world of the true power of democracy. The true empowerment of democracy was exhibited in EDSA by its successful efforts to oust a tyrant by a demonstration without tolerance for violence and bloodshed.

Prayers and rosaries strengthened by faith were the only weapons that the Filipinos used to recover their freedom from President Ferdinand Marcos’s iron hands. The Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) stretches 54 kilometers, where the peaceful demonstration was held on that fateful day. It was a day that gathered all Filipinos in unity with courage and faith to prevail democracy in the country. It was the power of the people, who assembled in EDSA, that restored the democratic Philippines, ending the oppressive Marcos regime. Hence, it came to be known as the EDSA People Power’s Revolution.

THE REFORM THE ARMED FORCES MOVEMENT (RAM)• RAM was founded by a group of junior military officers who

were disgruntled by the patronage politics and corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 1980. The RAM officers, most of whom were graduates of the Philippine Military Academy Classes of 1971, 1972, and 1978, developed their careers during the Martial Law Years (September 21, 1972 to January 17, 1981).

• RAM was placed under the leadership of the Ministry of National Defense security and intelligence force, then commanded by then Army Colonel Gregorio Honasan, who was also then the chief security officer of then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, who gave the blessing in forming the organization because Enrile too, also wants reforms in the military.

ON THE WAY TO CAMP CRAMEDefense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Colonel Gringo Honasan marched to Camp Crame

MARCOS ESCAPES TO HAWAIIIn 1986, Marcos defrauded the electorate in a presidential election, declaring himself the victor over Corazon Aquino, the wife of an assassinated rival. Aquino also declared herself the rightful winner, and the public rallied behind her. Deserted by his former supporters, Marcos and his wife, Imelda, fled to Hawaii in exile, where they faced investigation on embezzlement charges.

THE DEATH OF MARCOSIn his dying days, Marcos was visited by Vice President Salvador Laurel. During the meeting with Salvador Laurel, Marcos offered 90% of his possessions back to the Filipino people in exchange for being buried back in the Philippines beside his mother, an offer also disclosed to Enrique Zobel. However, Marcos' offer was rebuffed by the Aquino government.Marcos died in Honolulu on the morning of September 28, 1989, of kidney, heart, and lung ailments. Marcos was interred in a private mausoleum at Byodo-In Temple on the island of Oahu where his remains were visited daily by the Marcos family, political allies and friends.

A HERO’S BURIAL AT LIBINGAN NG MGA BAYANIAlmost 30 years after his death, Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos is getting a hero’s burial. In a Nov. 8 ruling, the Supreme Court supported president Rodrigo Duterte’s resolve to honor the country’s original strongman leader by giving him a spot in the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Cemetery of the Heroes) in Manila. Duterte’s administration confirmed that the state burial will be scheduled before the end of the year.

5 MAIN REASONS 1. There was no grave abuse of discretion on the part of

President Rodrigo Duterte in ordering the burial of Marcos at LNMB because it was done in the exercise of his mandate. There is also no law that prohibits the burial of Marcos' remains at the LNMB

2. President Duterte has the power to reserve for public use and for specific public purposes, any of the lands under public domain.

3. Marcos' remains, under regulations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, can be interred at LNMB because he was a former president, commander-in-chief, soldier, medal of valor awardee, and legislator.

4. The Supreme Court disagreed Marcos was "dishonorably discharged," saying the disqualification only pertains to the military

5. Marcos cannot be disqualified from burial at LNMB because he was not convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude.