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Marcos Elected President
While Marcos began as a member of the Liberal Party during his first years in the government, he ran for President in the Nationalist Party. It was an expensive and difficult campaign, but Marcos' wife, Imelda, boosted his campaign forward by interacting with and inspiring the lower class, which eventually lead to Marcos' election. During his first term in office, he developed Filipino education, industry, and agriculture. -
Marcos Re-Election
Ferdinand Marcos was the first Philippine President to win a second term, but his re-election was a shady and corrupt one. It was associated with fraud, bribed votes, violence, and threats to citizens who did not vote for him. -
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First Quarter Storm
The First Quarter Storm was the first part of the People Power Revolution "Rising Fever". It was mainly led by students who were angered because of police brutality, unfair elections due to fear and bribery, and Marcos' overall violent first term. -
Battle of Mendiola
10,000 of Marcos' opponents gathered on Mendiola Street, and approached the gates of Malacañang Palace. Firemen employed huge water cannons to disperse the activists, but a group of students had taken control of one water cannon and were using it to force open the gates to Malacañang. Eventually, palace guards had no choice but to begin shooting at the crowd, and students Ricardo Alcantara, Fernando Catabay, Felicisimo Roldan and Bernardo Tausa were killed. This was the spark of the FQS. -
First Constitutional Convention
This convention was held so that Marcos could propose the change of government system; from presidential to parliamentary (so that he could continue to lead the country as long as he wished). Marcos said that countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia had much success with the parliamentary system, so there was no reason why the Philippines should not try it. The change in constitution first failed to pass. -
Bombing in Plaza Miranda
9 people were killed at Plaza Miranda when hand grenades were tossed into the crowd of civilians who were listening to the campaign speeches of the liberal party. It was discovered that communists were behind the attacks, and Marcos took the opportunity to suspend Habeas Corpus (the rule that stops police from arresting without a charge). Marcos could now arrest anybody who opposed him. -
Declaration of Martial Law
Martial Law was declared by Marcos on the 23rd of September, but in his announcement, he told the date as the 21st, because of his belief in numerology. Martial Law meant that all discipline was controlled by the military, which is controlled by the government. This led to peace and order being restored in the Philippines, however, they came at a cost. A curfew was introduced, TV and radio were limited, and rebellion leaders were arrested and tortured in detention camps; some even electrocuted. -
Arrest of Ninoy Aquino / Jose Diokno
Aquino and Diokno were 2 of Marcos' most outspoken opponents. Under martial law, Marcos arrested them, but did not need to tell them why. Aquino (who went on a hunger strike for 40 days during his imprisonment) and Diokno were imprisoned for over 7 years, both with death sentences hanging over them, and Aquino was only released when he had a heart attack and was sent to the USA for surgery. -
Marcos Constitution Ratified
After martial law was declared, Marcos revisited the idea of proposing a change in the constitution to a parliamentary government system. This time, he knew that he could blackmail or arrest his opposition, so it was not surprising that the clause made it through the convention. Marcos then needed support from the Filipino people, but he tricked them by saying things like, "Who wants free rice?" (causing everyone to raise their hands), and then portraying the pictures as support for his change. -
LABAN Party Founded
LABAN is a political party that ran in the 1978 elections. They chose Benigno (Ninoy) Aquino as their presidential candidate, which was unusual as he was in jail at the time of the campaign. They chose Aquino because they agreed with his political ideas and his views on Marcos' regime. -
Noise Barrage
The Noise Barrage, held on the night before Marcos' second re-election, was when opponents of Marcos took to the streets carrying tin cans and wooden spoons, bashing them to create the loudest protest possible. The screaming and yelling woke up all of Metro Manila, which let the public know that not all of the Philippines supported Marcos - even through martial law and rigged elections. -
Aquino sent to US (Heart Attack)
Ninoy Aquino suffered a sudden heart attack in prison, and was sent to the US for surgery and recovery. This seems strange, because Aquino already had a death sentence on his head, but Marcos wanted the public to see him take down Aquino when he was strong, not when he was weak and vulnerable. -
Marcos Elections (Boycotted by Opposition)
When the time came another rigged election, Marcos' opposition had had enough of trying to beat him out with other candidates. Instead, they boycotted the election and attempted to decrease the number of voters (so that Marcos could not change their votes to keep himself in power). However, Marcos continued to stay in power after this election. -
Aquino Assassination
Ninoy Aquino was on his way back to the Philippines from the USA, after passing through many other Southeast Asian countries. He had been offered a back door into the country, but insisted that he fly directly into Manila. As he stepped off the airplane, he was shot. His assassin was killed shortly after by security, so the root of his death was never discovered. He knew when flying back to the Philippines that he could be killed, but whatever happened, it would benefit the Filipino people. -
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Confetti Revolution
Another form of peaceful protest was born after Ninoy Aquino's death, and it lasted until the EDSA Uprising. The confetti revolution was led by the color yellow, the new symbol of hope and freedom for the Philippines. People took to the streets in this light hearted protest and laughed as they threw confetti into the crowd. -
Marcos Calls for Snap Elections
Marcos was being asked questions about the legitimacy of his recent elections on an American TV show, and called for impromptu elections, more commonly known as "snap polls". In these elections, he gave candidates 60 days to campaign before votes. Marcos' fiercest competition was Cory Aquino, wife to the late Ninoy Aquino, and she gained popularity very fast. The result of the elections officially stated that Marcos had won, but, again, the public was outraged because of rigged votes. -
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EDSA Uprising
The EDSA uprising, or People Power Revolution, was sparked by Fidel Ramos and Juan Ponce Enrile, who they defected and barricaded themselves in a military base. Filipinos gathered on EDSA in a massive peaceful protest to support them. Cardinal Sin called out to the country on Radio Veritas, asking them to join the protest. Marcos sent tanks to disperse the crowds, but they were stopped by masses of people standing in front of them. After 4 days, Marcos fled, and his regime ended. -
Marcos Family Flees Philippines
After four days of the EDSA Revolution, the Marcos family finally decided to give up and leave the Philippines. They snuck out of the back of Malacañang Palace and flew to the US. This was the final favor of the US to Marcos for his hard work in fighting the communists in the Philippines.
