Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralín Marcos (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was President of the Philippines from 1966 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives (1949-1959) and a member of the Philippine Senate (1959-1965). During World War II he was the leader of the so-called "Ang Maharlika" guerilla force in northern Luzon. In 1963 he became Senate President. As Philippine president and strongman, his greatest achievement was in the fields of infrastructure development and international diplomacy. However, his administration was marred by massive government corruption, despotism, nepotism, political repression and human rights violations. In 1986 he was removed from power by a massive show of People Power after it was revealed he had invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the United States.

Early life

Marcos was born on September 11, 1917 in Sarrat, a small town in Ilocos Norte. Named by his parents, Mariano Marcos and Josefa Edralin, after King Ferdinand of Spain, Marcos was a champion debater, boxer, swimmer and wrestler while in the University of the Philippines.

The EDSA Revolution, also referred to as the People Power Revolution and the Philippine Revolution of 1986 (also the Rosary Revolution), was a mostly nonviolent mass demonstration in the Philippines. Four days of peaceful action by millions of Filipinos in Metro Manila under the guidance of Jaime Cardinal Sin who invoked the protection of Our Lady of Fatima led to the downfall of the authoritarian regime of President Ferdinand Marcos and the installation of Corazon Aquino as president of the Republic. EDSA stands for Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, a main highway in Metro Manila and the main site of the demonstrations.

President Jose P. Laurel of the wartime Second Republic (puppet-government under Japan) placed the Philippines under martial law in 1944 through Proclamation No. 29, dated September 21. Martial law came into effect on September 22, 1944 at 9am. Proclamation No. 30 was issued the next day, declaring the existence of a state of war between the Philippines and the US and Great Britain. This took effect on September 23, 1944 at 10am.

The Philippines was under martial law again from 1972 to 1981 under the authoritarian rule of Ferdinand Marcos. Martial law was declared to suppress increasing civil strife and the threat of communist takeover following a series of bombings in Manila. The declaration of martial law was initially well-received by some segment of the people but became unpopular as excesses and human rights abuses by the military emerged. Torture was used in extracting information from their enemies. Proclamation No. 1081 (Proclaiming a State of Martial Law in the Philippines) was signed on September 21, 1972 and came into force on September 22 - interestingly enough exactly 28 years after President Jose P. Laurel's similar proclamations.

Dolphy (born Rodolfo Quizon on July 25, 1928 in Pampanga though raised in Tondo, Manila), is a comedian actor in the Philippines. Better known as the Philippine's "King of Comedy", his career has spanned for more than 5 decades. He used the screen names Golay and Pidol under Sampaguita Pictures.

Biography

He was raised by his parents Melencio Espinosa Quizon, a Chinese Filipino, and Salud de la Rosa Vera. He is currently living with his domestic partner Zsa Zsa Padilla. He has 18 children by five different women.

He started as a struggling performer onstage during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. The late Fernando Poe, Sr. gave him his first break as a character actor. His comic talents became well known in the films, Jack en Jill and Facifica Falayfay. Soon, he made many comedy films, alongside fellow comedians, Pugo, Tugo, Babalu, Panchito, Ike Lozada and German Moreno. In 1966, as part of the comedy duo Dolphy and Panchito, he opened for the Beatles at Rizal Stadium in Manila. Even though their show was in Tagalog, Paul McCartney has said he was amused by their act. ^{[citation needed]}

He is best known for his character John Puruntong in the comedy sitcom John En Marsha with Nida Blanca. The series lasted for 17 years and ended in 1990.