22/09/2022
Post Scriptum :
POWER FAILS OR WANES
BUT DESTINY TAKES OVER
I. The MARCOS REGIME (1965 to 1986)
* Ferdinand Edralin Marcos (1917-1989)
On accusations of murdering a political opponent of his father, Don Mariano Marcos, FEM secured his own acquittal of the charge. He became a member of the House of Representatives in 1949-1959 and Senator in 1959-1966. On a promise of a new program of industrial development (which would later be his rallying cry that "This Nation Can be Great Again"), he was elected to become the 10th President of the Republic in 1965-1969, but his regime lasted until 1986. Faced with a mounting dissent amid the stealthily growing Communist insurgency out to topple Government, and upon call of his advisers whom he sought for guidance, he declared Martial Law on September 21, 1972, by virtue of the presidential powers vested in him by the governing 1935 Constitution. This political stroke met with dissent and varying cases were filed replete with challenges to its constitutionality. He nevertheless continued to govern and rule by Presidential Decrees. During his time, the 1935 Constitution was supplanted by the 1973 Constitution, which also attracted constitutional questions with a barrage of cases. It was the governing charter until 1986, when he was succeeded by Cory Aquino in a peaceful transition, now known as the '1986 EDSA People Power', a political upheaval.
The First Lady Madame * Imelda Romualdez Marcos (1929-) served during her husband's reign in power, as Metropolitan Manila Governor from 1975 to 1986 and as Minister of Human Settlements from 1979 to 1986. It was also on June 11, 1980 that the University of Life, located at Pasig City, Metro Manila, was founded by FL Imelda Marcos as MHS Minister, envisioned to be a flagship educational center and a learning academy for livelihood and development towards nation-building, but this legacy in education was cut off with the Cory regime's abolition of the MHS.
In 1989, when President Marcos died in exile in Hawaii, she returned to the Philippines and began to revive their family's involvement in the political milieu, gradually endearing themselves to the people, always mindful that public service should always be for the welfare of the people, "Higit sa Lahat: Tao". She served as member of the House of Representatives. Her daughter, Imee Marcos also served as Ilocos Norte governor, then became a senator of the Republic. Her son, Bongbong Marcos, also served as Ilocos Norte governor, as Congressman, then senator, and by stroke of destiny, became the 17th President of the Republic in 2022, after the term of President Duterte from 2016 to 2022.
II. THE AQUINO ERA (1986 forward)
A. 1986-1992
* Ma. Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco- Aquino (1933-2009) was the wife of Ninoy A. Aquino, a known journalist-turned politician, serving as Tarlac's Mayor, then governor and finally as senator. He became the fiercest challenger to the Marcos rule. In 1972, he was jailed on charges of rebellion, and remained incarcerated until 1979 during the Martial Law years. Atrocities committed during this military rule, although not directly perpetrated by Marcos, were attributed to him as the Commander-in-Chief, being the President.
In 1980, Ninoy was allowed, on humanitarian grounds and considerations due to health conditions, to relocate to Boston in U.S.A. with the help of the First Lady Madame Imelda Marcos. On August 21, 1983, after a 3-year 'exile', he returned to the Philippines. He was known for his rallying visionary cry to restore a perceived ailing democracy that the "Filipinos are Worth Dying For". Upon arrival at the MIA, he was killed by 'soldiers' assigned for his arrival and manning the tarmac.
Owing to the tarmac assassination of Benigno "Ninoy" A. Aquino Jr (1932-1983) and persistent blaming fingers pointing to President Marcos as the mastermind, but which speculations were never resolved with finality as other narratives from reliable sources indicate, coupled with the growing discontent on an apparent one-man rulership and widespread dissent on the scheme of things, there was waged by the opposition and a segment of the citizenry, the so-called peaceful 1986 EDSA People Power Revolt that finally ousted Mr. Marcos from his presidential stronghold while at Malacañang.
Before the political upheaval, or on February 2, 1986, a snap presidential election was called for, where the tandem of Aquino (LABAN) and Laurel (UNIDO) lost to the tandem of Marcos and Tolentino (both of KBL/NP) who were declared by the COMELEC as the victors, but the losers' supporters challenged the results and the election watchdog NAMFREL further casted doubt on the snap electoral exercise when its volunteers walked out from the votes counting venue and some stated it was Aquino and Laurel who won.
On February 25, 1986, Aquino and Laurel were sworn in as President and VP by SC Associate Justice Claudio Tehankee at Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan, while Marcos and Tolentino were sworn in on the same day, but at a later time by CJ Ramon Aquino in Malacañang Palace. Days before the start of the dual inaugurals, people began assembling at EDSA since February 21 in support of DND Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, PC Chief Fidel Ramos and RAM's Gr**go Honasan and other young rebel officers of the AFP who defected and collectively declared their support for Aquino and continuously massed up at EDSA on that fateful day of February 25, upon calls made by Archbishop of Manila Jaime Cardinal Sin of the Catholic Hierarchy and other converging opposition forces. There were also evident pocket massing up of people in some other parts of the country to drum up widespread and nationwide support to the political upheaval.
The successor regime of Cory Aquino, aided by her think tank, then came up with a 1986 Freedom Constitution, that set aside the Marcos regime-initiated 1973 Constitution, and the hastily-crafted interim Freedom Constitution, then in place served as the governing and precursor Constitution to the newly ratified 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. This settled the dust and somehow stabilized the political upheaval.
Internal squabbles in her administration, nevertheless, led to VP Salvador Laurel's distancing himself from Cory and her regime, which was also marked by in-fighting and political power struggles with the axe falling on then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile whom President Aquino dismissed and replaced on November 23, 1986 by appointing Gen. Rafael Ileto. Ms. Aquino, eventually succeeded Mr. Marcos as the 11th President of the Republic.
It was during the Aquino regime that the Mendiola massacre - Manila (January 22, 1987) and Lupao massacre - Nueva Ecija (February 10, 1987), precursors to the Hacienda Luisita massacre - Tarlac (November 16, 2004) involving agitated farmers seeking for genuine agrarian reforms happened.
B. 1992-1998
* Fidel Valdez Ramos (March 18, 1928 - July 31, 2022)
He was Marcos' Chief of the Philippine Constabulary, but defected during the EDSA Revolt of 1986 (with military backing from the army and RAM prime mover Gregorio "Gr**go" Ballesteros Honasan and DND's Enrile) and became Cory's AFP Chief of Staff, replacing Marcos' Gen. Fabian Ver. In the general elections in 1992, he run under the banner of LAKAS-NUCD and won as the 12th President of the country. The 10th VP was Teofisto Guingona Jr. The Ramos Presidency was protested by contender Miriam Defensor-Santiago on claims of election irregularities.
C. 1998-2004
* Joseph Ejercito Estrada (1937-)
Running as PMP standard bearer in 1998, he won and succeeded as the 13th President.
The 11th VP was Gloria Arroyo.
Mr. Estrada was later subjected to impeachment on charges of plunder.
D. 2004-2010
* Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (1948-)
She is the daughter of former President Diosdado Macapagal who served from 1961-1965, the term before Marcos rose to become President in 1965.
GMA served as DSWD Secretary under Cory. In 1992, she became a senator, the VP in 1998, and running in 2004 as LAKAS-NUCD standard bearer, she won and succeeded as the 14th President. The 12th VP was Noli de Castro.
Her administration was also rocked by the 'Hello, Garci' Tapes.
E. 2010-2016
* Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (1960-2021)
Running as LP standard bearer in 2010, he won and succeeded as the 15th President.
The 13th VP was Jejomar Binay.
PNoy's administration was also hounded by dubious issues, such as the 'Napoles Scam' involving staggering billions of pesos in the guise of the Disbursement Acceleration Program/PDAF which was later declared by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional, and aggravated by other government anomalies, like the bungled SAF44 - Mamasapano encounter, typhoon Yolanda Relief Funds Scam, the Dengvaxia Vaccine scare, etc..
III. THE DUTERTERREGNUM (2016-2022)
* Rodrigo Roa Duterte (1945-)
Served for a considerable time as Mayor of Davao City and taking a long shot from local to national governance, heeded the call of the times for a strong leadership, amid widespread corruption during PNoy's administration. He reluctantly, but later opted to run in 2016 under the banner of PDP-LABAN against LP's standard bearer Manuel Araneta Roxas II, PRP's Miriam Defensor-Santiago, etc. ... and became the 16th President of the Republic, eventually toppling the stronghold of the Aquino and successor regimes as the opposition's streak of winning Senate seats waned. His VP candidate Alan Peter Cayetano, however, did not make it and the position of Vice-President (14th) was clinched by the Liberal Party-backed Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona-Robredo who defeated her rivals, including Bongbong Marcos, under a cloud of electoral doubt and evident claims of fraudulent circumstances. The election protest, nevertheless took almost the spread of the VPs term of 6 years to be resolved, with the next electoral exercise nearing its schedule. VP Robredo then became the central focal point and figure of the waning liberal opposition.
The Duterte administration was not exempt from taints of corruption, like the COVID-19 - related PhilHealth Scam, procurement anomalies attendant to the pandemic response initiatives, etc.
IV. THE MARCOS DESTINY (2022-2028)
Learning from the past and the pitfalls of recorded political history, the younger was cautious not to repeat history, but meticulously presented himself, unique at a point, humbling himself in the process despite the overwhelming anti-Marcos sentiments where everything bad about the Marcoses were hurled to disparage ' candidacy, but, destiny on his side, emerging victorious under unprecedented settings making history in the end.
The political hash tag "NEVER FORGET Martial Law, NEVER AGAIN to a Marcos" was then tested on the waters, under very divisive circumstances, as against "MARCOS PA RIN" (MARCOS idi, MARCOS tatta, MARCOS latta). 2022 became the year of reckoning.
* Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. (1958-)
Running under PFP, and fully supported by the KBL, he vied for the Presidency in the May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections in tandem with * Sara Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio (1978-) of Hugpong Ng Pagbabago, both seeking the two highest posts, under a UniTeam: - platform of unity and inclusive governance, relying mainly on a positive campaign strategy that endeared them to the electorates. The duo emerged the victors, gaining an unprecedented majority of the people's votes, leaving rivals Team Robredo and Pangilinan on the second runner rung, and clinching the people's mandate, amid strong and widespread anti - Marcosian sentiments to become the 17th President and 15th Vice-President of the Republic, respectively. # 30June2022
: As culled from various biographical and historical accounts and some personal experience.
