Decades later, controversy still surrounds the family. From the truth behind his military career in World War II (WWII), to his corrupt dealings, to Imelda’s plundering of the country’s money for designer clothes and jewellery, let’s examine the Marcos years and how he fell from grace, facing an overwhelming public revolt that led to his expulsion from the country, and the subsequent rise of the Philippines.
BEGINNINGS OF THE Marcos Dynasty
FERDINAND Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr., known simply as Ferdinand Marcos, was a Filipino politician, lawyer, and kleptocrat who served as the 10th President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He adopted “Constitutional Authoritarianism” under the New Society Movement, which essentially allowed him to rule as a dictator under martial law from 1972 until 1981 and keep most of his legal authority until he was forced to step down in 1986.
Born on September 11, 1917 in the town of Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, Marcos was born to Mariano Marcos (1897–1945) and Josefa Edralin (1893–1988). His parents were both teachers from important families, and in 1925, Marcos’s father became a congressman and was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives for the second district of Ilocos Norte. As such, Ferdinand was introduced to politics at a very young age.
In the late 1930s, Marcos studied at the University of the Philippines in Manila, attending the College of Law. He excelled at the bar exams. Unfortunately, before he could reach his fullest potential, he was tried for the assassination of Julio Nalundasan, a political opponent of his father. He was convicted at 22 years old in 1939. Whilst in prison, Marcos personally wrote an 860-page appeal to the court, and in 1940, the Supreme Court of the Philippines took up his appeal, with Associate Justice José P. Laurel throwing out the conviction against him. Judge José had supposedly argued that it would have been a waste for someone of Marcos’s calibre in law to rot away in prison. After he was released, Marcos returned to the Supreme Court, where he administered his oath as a lawyer.
The Nalundasan case and Marcos’s selfrepresentation during the trials captured the imagination of the country and culminated in a steadfast public interest in Marcos. He soon became known as the “most famous young man in the islands”.
The Nalundasan case and Marcos’s self-representation during the trials captured the imagination of the country and culminated in a steadfast public interest in Marcos. He soon became known as the “most famous young man in the islands”. Then-President Manuel L. Quezon even arranged to meet him and suggest that he use his newfound popularity as an entry point into Philippine politics. Those plans were unfortunately put on hold by WWII.
On April 17, 1954, Marcos married Imelda Trinidad Romualdez, just 11 days after they first met. They eventually had three children together: Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Imee Marcos, and Irene Marcos. The couple later adopted a third daughter, Aimee Marcos.
