Ferdinand E. Marcos

Ferdinand E. Marcos (September 11, 1917 - September 28, 1989). He defeated Macapagal in the 1965 presidential elections. And the two-decade era of Marcos (1965 - 1986) began.
Marcos was born in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte. He was a consistent scholar, took up Law at UP, and graduated cum laude in 1939. At 19, he was charged with the murder of a political enemy of his father. Thrown in jail, he reviewed for the nearing Bar examinations and topped it. Defeated at a lower court, he argued his own case in an appeal before the Supreme Court and won an acquittal. He joined the guerilla forces at the outbreak of war.
Marcos entered politics with an eye to eventually capturing the presidency. In his maiden campaign in 1949, he said: “Elect me your congressman now and I’ll give you an Ilokano President in 20 years.” He won that election and was returned thrice to Congress as Ilocos Norte’s congressman. In 1959, he was elected to the Philippine Senate and in 1963, he became its president. Completing the presidential term in 1969, he won a reelection . In 1972, he declared martial law. The rest is history.