Analysis: is Ferdinand Marcos a Good President

Introduction

A hero is somebody I admire, regard and respect for several reasons. Someone who incessantly inspires me to be an extraordinary human being and drives me to the fullest I can in order to attain justice and fairness. A model who has a soaring level of confidence and can assure their own decisions. However, a doubt in my mind keeps asking the question: do these type of heroes really exist?  Is Ferdinand Marcos a good president? This question remains a contentious debate in the Philippines. Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was a former president of the Philippine Republic from 1965 to 1986 and was notable for being a dictator. (Marcos, 2018). His burial at the hero’s cemetery is one of the never-ending conflict our country still argues owing to the fact that when it comes to Marcos, everything is controversial and exceedingly polarizing. Many, particularly those who are affected during his regime, asserts that the former politician should not be at the list or should be removed because it is said that during his term, several Filipinos suffered and the Philippine economy began to sink. However, the argument claims that his burial at the cemetery is just right seeing that Marcos himself did numerous things to make the country a better place. He led the Philippines into what he calls a “New Society”.

President Ferdinand Marcos' Legacy

First, Ferdinand Marcos has long been the talk since his university days. He was accused of murder and assassination multiple times but never succeeded. For instance, the Julio Nalundasan assassination. According to the article of UPI (2019), Nalundasan was murdered because of political rivalry against Ferdinand Marcos’ father, Mariano Marcos, who then suffered a crushing defeat in 1935 election for a National Assembly seat at a district in Northern Luzon. Ferdinand Marcos, a national rifle champion, was tagged as the gunman. But then, being a brilliant law student allowed him to argue his case by writing his own appeal brief. He wrote a total of 830 printed pages at the age of 23. Two weeks later, the court discharged him from murder. Afterwards, he went on to fight as an army. Yes, Marcos was a soldier. As stated by the Department of National Defense (dnd.gov.ph), he was in Bataan when the Japanese seized the Philippines in the Pacific theatre of World War II in 1942. Ferdinand Marcos, being a former president and commander-in-chief, a legislator, secretary of national defense, a military personnel, a veteran, and a Medal of Valor awardee made him qualified for a hero’s burial according to the 1987 Constitution. His entombment at the Libingan ng mga Bayani is a matter of enforcing the law. (Measham, 2016)

Second, Marcos’ unmatched legacy includes establishments of unprecedented edifices and infrastructures which still stand at present time. Some of it includes roads, numerous irrigation systems and hydroelectric power plants such as the Upper Pampanga River Project built to help raise the farmer productivity. In fact, a study proves that Marcos, as far, was the president who made the biggest investment when it comes to infrastructures and this is not only on the grounds that he was the longest serving pioneer of the country. Overall, he is the leading president on a per year basis which indicates him as the most productive. (Sicat, 2011)

Lastly, the implementation of the most debatable enactment named as the Martial Law. Martial Law was intended to eliminate the root causes of rebellion and promote a rapid trend for national development. The legality of Martial law was assured by the former president emphasizing the need for control over civil disobedience. In accordance to Robbie & Abcede (2015) threat to the country’s security was intensified due to the re-creation of the Communist Party of the Philippines or CPP in 1968. Supporters of CPP and Moro, known as the New People’s Army or NPA, was reported to also grow in numbers. This prompted him to suspend the privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus and later declared martial law. Nevertheless, a drastically dropped in violent crimes was felt after the implementation of the law. Plus, the capital turned out to be one of the most secure place due to the decrease in street crime which somehow improved our economy.

Criticisms and Flaws of the Marcos Regime

Former President Ferdinand Marcos accomplished numerous great things for the betterment of our country. Yet, Filipinos still question the underlying truth behind his success. Several believes that Marcos fabricated stories to selfishly acquit himself from issues and clean his own name. One of such is the amount of debt our country garnered during his term as well as the status of our economy. In accordance to Tadem (2018), the UP School of Economics rated Philippines as one of the most heavily indebted nation state in world scale. Furthermore, it is stated that most of the projects financed by the foreign loans or debts were said to be ineffective, costly and mishandled. The administration borrowed too much in a small span of time. Another is the pronouncement of the infamous Martial Law which lasted for 9 years. For many, it is considered as the dark chapter in Philippine history. During this era, the country had one of Asia’s worst human rights records because human rights abuses is said to be rampant during those days. The army and police were known for their use of torture. Various kinds of medias like printing presses, televisions, radio stations and newspaper offices were attacked and ceased. (Forbes, 2015)

Conclusion

In conclusion, the argument is strong seeing that there are several evidences and facts aforementioned. Ferdinand Marcos’ burial was merely proper because he contributed to the growth of this nation so that this country of ours could be great and radiantly can stand alone amongst all countries. He, somehow, stewarded the country toward prosperity. He may have flaws as a president but let us not forget that he was also a soldier. He fought during the time when we were conquered by the Japanese. For that reason, his entombment was right and it is part of the law.  

Works Cited

1. Marcos, F. (2018). Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Biography. The Famous People. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/ferdinand-marcos-sr--4337.php
2. UPI. (2019). Nalundasan murder. UPI Archives. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1935/09/23/Nalundasan-murder/4767390515400/
3. Department of National Defense. (n.d.). President Ferdinand Marcos: A President, Commander-in-Chief, Legislator, Secretary of National Defense, Military Personnel, Veteran, Medal of Valor Awardee – He deserves to be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Republic of the Philippines. http://www.dnd.gov.ph/Postings/Postings2.asp?ID=38
4. Measham, T. (2016). Why Ferdinand Marcos was buried in the 'Heroes' Cemetery.' CNN Philippines. https://cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/politics/2016/11/21/ferdinand-marcos-burial.html
5. Sicat, G. (2011). The Marcos Legacy. Philippine Daily Inquirer. https://opinion.inquirer.net/14291/the-marcos-legacy
6. Robbie, K., & Abcede, G. (2015). The Reality of the Martial Law Years: A review of the literature. Philippine Political Science Journal, 36(2), 169-197.
7. Tadem, T. (2018). Ferdinand Marcos' debt-driven regime. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/215022-ferdinand-marcos-debt-driven-regime
8. Forbes, C. (2015). Blood Debt in the Philippines: From Marcos to Aquino. CounterPunch. https://www.counterpunch.org/2015/09/11/blood-debt-in-the-philippines-from-marcos-to-aquino/