The Drift Watch

Philippines – Ferdinand Marcos

Ferdinand Marcos was elected President of the Philippines in 1965 and re-elected in 1969, but his most consequential move came in 1972, when he declared martial law and suspended democratic institutions. Citing communist threats and social unrest, Marcos centralized power, curtailed civil liberties, and ruled as a constitutional dictator for over a decade. He institutionalized crony capitalism, silenced dissent, and used the military and police to enforce loyalty.

Despite lifting martial law in 1981, Marcos continued to rig elections and suppress opposition, until he was ousted by the 1986 People Power Revolution. His regime remains one of the most notorious examples of postcolonial authoritarianism built from within an elected government.

Timeline of Key Events

  • 1965: Marcos elected president.
  • 1969: Re-elected in a campaign marred by massive government spending and vote-buying.
  • September 21, 1972: Marcos declares martial law; arrests opposition leaders, shuts down media, and dissolves Congress.
  • 1973: New constitution adopted; expands presidential powers indefinitely.
    1981: Martial law lifted in name, but authoritarian rule continues.
  • 1983: Assassination of opposition leader Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino galvanizes resistance.
  • 1986: Marcos declares victory in fraudulent snap election, triggering the People Power uprising; he flees to exile in Hawaii.


Methods of Democratic Erosion

  • Media Suppression

    Government or ruling party control over broadcast, print, and digital media to shape public narrative and suppress dissent.

  • Judicial Subordination

    Undermining judicial independence by appointing loyal judges or purging dissenting ones.

  • Disinformation and Propaganda

    Systematic use of false or misleading information to distort public perception, confuse opposition, or justify authoritarian measures.

  • Electoral Manipulation

    Interference with democratic elections through voter suppression, gerrymandering, or control over electoral commissions.

  • Militarization and Police State

    The expansion of state security forces into domestic governance, often through militarized policing, protest crackdowns, surveillance, and the use of force to control civil dissent and enforce political loyalty.

Impact on Institutions

  • Congress: Dissolved during martial law; replaced with rubber-stamp National Assembly.
  • Judiciary: Stripped of independence; legal rulings used to retroactively justify abuses.
  • Elections: Converted into legitimacy rituals under tight control.
  • Media: State-controlled, completely censored environment.
  • Military and Police: Transformed into partisan institutions of repression and personal protection.


References

Thompson, Mark R. The Anti-Marcos Struggle: Personalistic Rule and Democratic Transition in the Philippines. Yale University Press, 1995.


Robles, Raissa. Marcos Martial Law: Never Again. Filipinos for a Better Philippines, 2016.


Freedom House, Freedom in the World: Philippines, 1972–1986
 https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/archives


Human Rights Watch, Dark Legacy: Human Rights Under Marcos
 https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/09/19/philippines-marcos-dark-legacy-rights-abuses


The New York Times, Marcos Flees the Philippines; Aquino Is Sworn In
 https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/26/world/marcos-flees-the-philippines-aquino-is-sworn-in.html


PBS Frontline, People Power: The Fall of Marcos
 https://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/philippines804/interview_manglapus.html

U.S. Library of Congress Country Study: Philippines, Chapter on Martial Law
 https://countrystudies.us/philippines/76.htm