LICEO DE CAGAYAN UNIVERSITY

RN Pelaez Boulevard, Kauswagan, Cagayan de Oro City

COLLEGE OF NURSING

Name: Harlet Jo Louaine P. Padilla

Year & Section: Nur 1- B

Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. was a Filipino politician and lawyer who
served as the Philippines' 10th president from 1965 to 1986 and was recognized for
his brilliance in academics, economics, and journals. He became a lawyer after
WWII and served in the Philippine House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959, as
well as the Senate from 1959 to 1965. He was elected President of the Philippines in
1965 and ruled over an economy that prospered at initially but later collapsed owing
to job losses, widespread poverty, and a severe debt issue. From 1966 until 1986,
Ferdinand Marcos (September 11, 1917–September 28, 1989) governed the
Philippines with an iron grip. During his presidency, he accomplished a lot of things,
both good and terrible. During Marcos' first term, he ordered the construction of
roads, bridges, and other public works projects all across the Philippines. This was a
significant success since it offered transportation and services to many of the
country's rural communities. He also took the divisive choice to align the Philippines
with the United States in the Vietnam War. Marcos implemented significant
economic changes, including the growth of enterprises in the Philippines that
employed a large number of people and produced valuable trade commodities. He
was regarded as a forward-thinking politician.
Following his election to the president in 1965, Ferdinand Marcos of the Nacionalista
Party controlled the Philippine political scene for the next two decades. Marcos
began ambitious public works projects during his first term that improved the overall
quality of life while delivering significant pork-barrel rewards to his allies. Marcos and
his government were accused of crimes like as corruption and nepotism, according
to critics. Marcos is alleged to have overstated his contribution to WWII. He also
assassinated a political opponent of his family. Marcos established a complex
personality cult. When the state-mandated adoration was no longer enough to keep
him in power, President Marcos proclaimed martial law. Marcos feared that enforcing
his promise land reform program would enrage the politically strong landowner elite,
thus it was never enacted.
The People Power Revolution of February 1986, which ousted him from power, was
sparked by allegations of widespread cheating, political instability, and human rights
violations. According to source documents released by the Presidential Commission
on Good Government (PCGG), once Marcos and his family went to Hawaii, it was
discovered that they illegally took $5 billion to $10 billion from the Philippine Central
Bank. The PCGG, which is led by Cory Aquino, also claimed that between 1965 and
1986, the Marcos family lived a lavish lifestyle while stealing billions of dollars from
the Philippines. They used various names to withdraw money from various banks
around the world, and with the help of the PCGG, the countries involved have
revealed how much Marcos took out. He and his wife are now the holders of the
Guinness World Record for "Greatest Government Robbery."
Considering the scale of his corruption and atrocities, one may assume that Marcos'
position in Philippine history and the collective memory of Filipinos is already well-
established. However, a "revisionist" narrative of his presidency has lately garnered,
and continues to gain, widespread traction. Many Filipinos are increasingly
considering the possibility that Marcos' "sins" were exaggerated by the conquerors
who created post-Marcos history. Ferdinand Marcos is deserving of the current
generation's hatred, since it can be seen that his family was just running for the
Senate to cover up his misdeeds and clear their names, but the victims' voices were
heard by ordinary citizens. Forgetting about Marcos' corruption endangers the
continued efforts of the organization set up to reclaim his ill-gotten gains. One of
President Corazon Aquino's first official acts as Marcos' successor was to establish
the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which was charged with
recovering public assets stolen by Marcos, his family, and his cronies and returning
them to their rightful owners, the Filipino people.
It is indeed critical to recall Marcos' history of corruption in order to create the right
atmosphere for current and future anti-corruption initiatives to succeed. It will teach
them that corruption pays off in the end, since even if they are discovered, they can
still expect for future historical vindication of their name and reputation. This
hazardous mentality is counterproductive to any anti-corruption campaign, which
relies primarily on building a climate of responsibility and justice rather than impunity.
It's also critical to keep pointing to Marcos' kleptocracy as an example of how the
repression of democratic ideals may lead to large-scale plunder. When the public is
informed of Marcos' history of corruption, they are better equipped to protect
themselves against similar actions. They will also be more likely to defend and
enhance democratic institutions and norms, which will help to create an anti-
corruption atmosphere.
Attempts to erase Marcos' legacy of corruption and cruelty should be rejected. It
should no longer be a point of contention that Marcos was a thief at this point. It is
not only in society's best interests to retain an authentic record of its past, but it is
also an anticorruption imperative to keep the lessons of Marcos' kleptocratic legacy
alive and well for future generations. If the recent wave of pro-Marcos historical
revisionism does not reverse dramatically, charting a national trajectory free of
corruption will become much more difficult. Imelda, Imee, and Bongbong's political
careers are inextricably linked to Marcos' personal reputation, for better or worse. If
Marcos is seen as a corrupt leader, his family members will be accused of being
corrupt as well. However, if Marcos' image is cleaned through historical revisionism,
his family members may utilize the "victory" of the "Marcos" moniker to hide their
own corruption.