Ferdinand Marcos

Ferdinand Edralin Marcos (September 11, 1917–September 28, 1989) was the tenth President of the Philippines, serving from 1965 to 1986. As president, he instituted an authoritarian regime that allowed him to stay in power. He was removed from office by the peaceful EDSA Revolution in 1986.

Martial Law

His vision of a "Bagong Lipunan (New Society)"—similar to the "New Order" that was imposed in Indonesia under dictator Suharto—was pursued during the martial law years. It was a movement urging the poor and the privileged to work as one for the common goals of society, and to achieve the liberation of the Filipino people through self-realization. Marcos confiscated businesses owned by oligarch families and distributed them to small-time crony businessmen. More often than not, those Marcos cronies took over the said businesses and used them as fronts to launder proceeds from graft and corruption. In the end, some of Marcos' cronies used them as 'cash cows'. "Crony capitalism" was the term used to describe this phenomenon. Marcos also curtailed press freedom, making the state press the only legal one. He also seized privately-owned lands and distributed them to farmers. In this way, Marcos abolished the old oligarchy - but in turn, created a new one. The old oligarchy, such as the Lopezes who owned the largest TV network then (ABS-CBN) which Marcos seized, would become a thorn in the side of Marcos' regime.

Related Topics:
Indonesia - Suharto - ABS-CBN

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The declaration of martial law was initially very well received, given the social turmoil the Philippines was experiencing. Crime rates plunged dramatically after dusk curfews were implemented. The country would enjoy economic prosperity throughout the 1970's in the midst of growing dissent to his strong-willed rule towards the end of martial law. Political oppositionists were given the opportunity to go into exile. But as martial law dragged on for the next nine years, excesses as well as graft and corruption by the military emerged, as made manifest by the Rolex 12.

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