Who is Ferdinand Marcos?

Philippine HistoryFeaturing Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos

By:

Joy Michelle A. Pabio

Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin MarcosFerdinand Marcos

Philippines

Young Ferdinand Marcos with FamilyFrom left to right are Pacifico E. Marcos, Josefa Edralin Marcos (matriarch), Elizabeth Marcos, Mariano Marcos y Rubio (patriarch), and Ferdinand E. Marcos. The youngest child, Fortuna, was not yet born when this photo was taken.

Ferdinand Marcos was baptized into the Aglipayan or Philippine Independent Church.

The church was founded in 1902 by Isabelo de los Reyes and a Roman Catholic priest named Gregorio Aglipay who also became its first Supreme Bishop.

Members of this church reject the spiritual authority of the Pope as well as the doctrine of the Trinity. They also denied the existence of angels, devils, miracles, and other supernatural manifestations.7

Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin MarcosBorn: September 11, 1917 Where: village of Sarrat, on the island of Luzon, the PhilippinesMother: Josefa EdralinFather: Mariano Marcos

Education of Ferdinand Marcos

Marcos attended school in Manila. His godfather, Ferdinand Chua, may have helped to pay for his educational expenses.

During the 1930s, Marcos studied law at the University of the Philippines. 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.

When he was 18 years old, he was arrested and tried for a 1935 political murder using his shooting skills to kill Julio 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.

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he continued his studies while in prison, and even passed the bar exam with flying colors from his cell.

He soon joined the Filipino Army, and fought against the Japanese invasion as a combat intelligence officer in the 21st Infantry Division.

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.

A handsome man, Marcos had married the former beauty queen Imelda Romualdez in 1954. Her glamour added to his popularity.

Marcos FamilySpouse: Imelda MarcosChildren: Bongbong Marcos, Imee Marcos, Irene Marcos-Araneta, Aimee Marcos

Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Marcos together with their children and grandchildren

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.

Golden Achievements of late PresidentFerdinand Marcos