Ferdinand Marcos

Lore & Background

Ferdinand Marcos was the son of politician and Japanese collaborator Mariano Marcos. He achieved early success through client-patron relationships, styling himself as the Ilocos region's ticket to prominence. In his first campaign for congressman, he said, "Elect me a congressman now, and I pledge you an Ilocano president in 20 years." As president, he appointed mostly Ilocano commanders—18 out of 22 generals of the Philippine Constabulary came from Ilocos—alarming House Speaker Jose B. Laurel into filing a 1968 bill for equal regional representation. Marcos exaggerated his WWII exploits, claiming to lead a guerrilla force called Ang Mahárlika with 9,000 men. A U.S. military investigation exposed many claims as false; his name does not appear on General Douglas MacArthur's list of award recipients or the Medal of Honor roster. Historian Alfred W. McCoy's 1986 research into U.S. Army records showed most of Marcos's medals were fraudulent.

Reader's Guide

Marcos used propaganda to project himself as "the only patron, the king" of Philippine society, according to administration member Adrian Cristobal, who said Marcos wanted to say, "L'État, c'est moi." In extreme cases, Marcos encouraged cults as political weapons, with some thinking of him as a god. Techniques included red-tagging activists as communists, using martial law to control media, and creating a "new society" under "constitutional authoritarianism." After his death, the Marcos family's propaganda efforts—called "Marcos revisionism" or "Marcos historical negationism"—aim to distort historical facts. Early in his career, Marcos established relationships with Philippine Military Academy officers and enabled cronies to set up monopolies in key sectors. His WWII claims were further discredited: Colonel Manriquez and Adjutant Captain Rivera attested he was a noncombatant Civil Affairs officer, and John Sharkey of The Washington Post found records suggesting Marcos was released by Japanese authorities due to health problems or family cooperation.

Did You Know?

• Marcos claimed to lead a guerrilla force called Ang Mahárlika with 9,000 men, but a U.S. military investigation exposed many claims as false.
• 18 out of 22 generals of the Philippine Constabulary under Marcos came from the Ilocos region.
• Adrian Cristobal said Marcos wanted to be able to say, 'L'État, c'est moi.'
• Historian Alfred W. McCoy's 1986 research into U.S. Army records showed most of Marcos's medals were fraudulent.
• John Sharkey of The Washington Post found records suggesting Marcos was released by Japanese authorities due to health problems or family cooperation.