Ferdinand Edralin Marcos

Born Sept. 11, 1917, in Sarrat, near the city of Laoag, Luzon Island. Philippine statesman and political figure; lawyer.

In World War II (1939-45), Marcos fought against the Japanese occupation forces. In November 1965 he was elected president of the Philippine Republic on the ticket of the Nationalista Party, which expressed the interests of the national bourgeoisie; he was elected for a second term in November 1969. In December 1972 he introduced a state of emergency. The Marcos government enacted several measures that decreased the dependence of Philippine foreign policy on the USA and several bourgeois democratic reforms aimed at weakening the position of the landholding oligarchy and strengthening the position of the national bourgeoisie. In 1973, Marcos disbanded the parliament and ratified a new constitution, but the reconvening of a parliament was postponed, which led to the concentration of all the power in the hands of the president. [15-1136-1; updated]