Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer,
dictator,
and
kleptocrat
Kleptocracy (from Greek κλέπτης ''kléptēs'', "thief", κλέπτω ''kléptō'', "I steal", and -κρατία -''kratía'' from κράτος ''krátos'', "power, rule") is a government whose corrupt leaders (kleptocrats) use political ...
who was the 10th
president of the Philippines from
1965 to 1986. He ruled under
martial law from 1972 until 1981[ p. 189.] and kept most of his martial law powers until he was
deposed in 1986, branding his rule as "
constitutional authoritarianism"
under his
Kilusang Bagong Lipunan
The New Society Movement ( fil, Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, KBL), formerly named the New Society Movement of United Nationalists, Liberals, et cetera ( fil, Kilusang Bagong Lipunan ng Nagkakaisang Nacionalista, Liberal, at iba pa, KBLNNL), is a ...
(New Society Movement). One of the most controversial leaders of the 20th century, Marcos's rule was infamous for its corruption,
extravagance,
and brutality.
Marcos gained political success by claiming to have been the "most decorated war hero in the Philippines",
but many of his claims have been found to be false,
with
United States Army documents describing his wartime claims as "fraudulent" and "absurd".
After World War II, he became a lawyer then served in the
Philippine House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the
Philippine Senate from 1959 to 1965. He was elected the President of the Philippines in 1965 and presided over an economy that grew during the beginning of his 20-year rule but would end in the loss of livelihood,