Cabinet of Marcos I
The Marcos I cabinet was formed in the Philippines by Ferdinand Marcos on January 1, 1966, after he had assumed the office of President of the Philippines on December 30, 1965 as the successor to Diosdado Macapagal . After he was re-elected on November 11, 1969 and sworn in for a second term on December 30, 1969, he formed the cabinet of Marcos II on January 1, 1970 .
History and politics of the first Marcos government
Development of the economy and infrastructure
Ferdinand Marcos was originally a member of the Liberal Party (Partido Liberal ng Pilipinas) and has represented it since 1949, initially as a member in the House of Representatives and then since 1959 in the Senate . In 1964 he moved to the Nationalist Party ( Nacionalista Party ) and became its presidential candidate. His wife Imelda Marcos and her friends (Blue Ladies) supported his election campaign. His popular campaign slogan “ This Nation can be great again” won the hearts of Filipinos. In the election on November 9, 1965, incumbent Diosdado Macapagal (3,187,752 votes, 42.88 percent) lost from the Liberal Party, while Marcos (3,861,324 votes, 51.94 percent) from the Nacionalista Party won with a clear majority.
The more than 40 million Filipinos at that time wanted to see whether the government was able to bring about peace and harmony in society 20 years after the surrender of Japan , the former occupying power during the Second World War , at the time of the emerging Vietnam War and unrest in the country to restore, especially since the “election campaign” was already marked by riots. At the beginning of his first term in office, Marcos was faced with the enormous task of restructuring the country's social and economic conditions. Before the start of his tenure, the treasury was mostly empty due to high government spending. The Philippine National Bank (PNB), owned by the government, was near bankruptcy due to unpaid loans from government companies totaling more than 400 million pesos . The Marcos Cabinet succeeded in stabilizing government finances by effectively collecting taxes and obtaining loans from foreign banks and governments.
In order to achieve self-sufficiency with rice and maize , financial aid and technological support for farmers have been increased. Aid in the field of agriculture was offered by the government through the construction of further irrigation systems, the cultivation of the high-yielding variety IR8, the so-called " Miracle Rice" , and other fast-growing rice varieties. The “miracle rice” drove the Green Revolution in several third world countries . In addition, to meet the needs of the growing population, roads, bridges, school buildings, and other buildings such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), opened in September 1966 , a building complex that houses a performing arts theater, museum, and art library, followed are located. Vigorous action against smuggling, kidnapping, drug trafficking and other criminal organizations also met with popular approval after the state of law and order was threatened by an alarming growth in crime. Overall, the President's first term of office was characterized by rapid development, economic progress and an opening up of the economy, although the land reform that was carried out was not very successful and large sums of money were devoured by the infrastructure improvement program.
Vietnam War and Manila Summit 1966
On the other hand, President Marcos issued orders during his first term that were criticized by representatives of the opposition . For example, he surprisingly granted the United States military support in the Vietnam War, even though at the end of 1964, as President of the Senate , he had rejected the law approving the deployment of a military engineering battalion to South Vietnam . He had declared that sending Filipino combat troops to war was unconstitutional, as the 1935 Constitution , which was still in force at the time, rejected war as an instrument of national policy.
No fewer than 3,000 young people demonstrated on the first day of the summit meeting of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) in Manila , which took place from September 24 to 25, 1966. They gathered near the US embassy and the Manila Hotel where US President Lyndon B. Johnson resided. They denounced the country's participation in the Vietnam War as well as the abuse of office and brutality of the police, who lost control at the height of the political protest. The police responded with charges against 41 students for breaking the peace and assaulting. Marcos ordered the repeal of the charges against the students in order to pacify order. The summit was held to resolve the Vietnam War with delegates from the United States, the Philippines, Thailand , Australia , New Zealand , South Vietnam and South Korea . The result of the conference was the preparation of three documents: a joint communiqué, a declaration on peace and progress in Asia and the Pacific, and the goals of freedom.
The joint communiqué concerned the summary of the discussions of the seven participating states with the emphasis on the conditions for South Vietnam, the search for peace, economic stability and progress. The Declaration on Peace and Progress in Asia and the Pacific included the idea that aggression must not succeed and that the chains of poverty, illiteracy and disease must be broken. Furthermore, economic, social and cultural cooperation within the Asia and Pacific region should be strengthened and there should be reconciliation and peace within Asia. The third document, "The Goals of Freedom", included a commitment to achieve the goals set out in the second document. Marcos successfully ensured that aid for South Vietnam was included in the communiqué not as military but as economic and social support. Any increase in aid from the Philippines to South Vietnam could thus be considered compatible with the Constitution and the ethical values of Congress .
MNLF and NPA
In the 1960s, Marcos allegedly set up a military combat unit consisting of young Muslims to take Sabah , one of the states of Malaysia , by force. However, this invasion did not take place. The dozen of young Muslim recruits were murdered by their commanders on March 18, 1968 on the island of Corregidor . This led to an escalation in the south of the country and finally to the establishment of the Moros MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) by Abul Khayr Alonto and Jallaludin Santos.
On March 29, 1969 founded a radical wing of the Hukbalahap , one already at the time of World War II , founded the anti-Japanese resistance movement, led by José María Canlas Sison and Bernabe Buscayno the New People's Army NPA (New People's Army) as a military wing of the Communist Party ( Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas ) . This was looking for an alliance with the liberal bourgeoisie and the left Catholic student body.
In the ongoing crisis, Marcos ran for re-election for President on November 11, 1969.
Cabinet members January 1966 to December 1969
| Office | Official | Term of Office / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| president | Ferdinand Marcos | January 1966 |
| Vice President | Fernando López | January 1966 |
| Executive Secretary |
Rafael Montinola Salas N.N. Ernesto Maceda |
January 1966 August 1969 October 1969 |
| National Economic Coordinator | Constancio Castañeda | January 1966 |
| Civil Aviation Administrator | Colonel Nilo De Guia Francisco Paguio (acting) Frederico Ablan |
January 1966 March 1969 April 1969 |
| Social Welfare Administrator |
Francisco Remotigue Gregg Feliciano |
January 1966 September 1967 |
| Minister for Agriculture and Natural Resources | Fernando Lopez | January 1966 |
| Minister for Trade and Industry |
Marcelo Balatbat Leonides Virata |
January 1966 March 1969 |
| Minister of Education |
Carlos Romulo Onofre Corpuz |
January 1966 March 1969 |
| Finance minister | Eduardo Romualdez | January 1966 |
| Foreign minister |
Narciso Ramos Carlos Romulo |
January 1966 March 1969 |
| Minister for General Affairs |
Vicente Duterte Salih Ututalum |
January 1966 March 1969 |
| Minister of Health |
Paulino Garcia Amadeo Cruz |
January 1966 March 1969 |
| Minister of Justice |
Jose Yulo Claudio Teehankee Juan Ponce Enrile |
1966 September 1967 March 1969 |
| Minister of Labor |
Emilio Espinosa Blas Ople |
January 1966 November 1967 |
| Minister for National Defense |
Ferdinand Marcos General Ernesto Mata |
January 1966 March 1967 |
| Minister for Public Works and Communication |
Antonio Raquiza Rene Espina |
January 1966 May 1969 |
| Press secretary |
Jose Aspiras Francisco Tatad |
January 1966 October 1969 |
| Customs Commissioner | Colonel Jacinto Gavino Juan Ponce Enrile Rolando Geotina |
January 1966 December 1966 (provisional) March 1969 (provisional) |
| Tax Commissioner | Misael Vera | January 1966 |
| Commissioner for National Integration |
Mamintal Tamano Mama Sinsuat |
January 1966 November 1969 |
| Chairman of the National Economic Council |
Filemon Rodriguez Rafael Montinola Salas (acting) Alfonso Catalang Placido Mapa, Jr. Marcelo Balatbat |
January 1966 October 1966 December 1966 August 1968 March 1969 |
| Chairman of the National Customs Commission |
Montano Tejam Razon Haresco |
August 1967 Office newly created May 1969 |
| Presidential Assistant for Community Development | Ernesto Maceda | January 1966 |
| Governor of the Land Authority | Conrado Estrella | January 1966 |
| Director of the National Agency for Intelligence Coordination | Major General Ismael Lapuz | January 1966 |
| Director of the National Bureau of Investigation |
Serafin Piedad Fausto Jolly Bugarin |
January 1966 September 1967 |
| Director of the Presidential Agency for Reforms and Governance | Bartolome Cabanbang | January 1966 August 1967 Abolished office |
| Administrator of the National Cotton Development Agency | Pacita Gonzalez | November 1969 new office created |
Background literature
- Maria Christine N. Halili: Philippine History , 2nd edition, 2014, ISB 978-971-23-5636-0, p. 214 ff.
- Philippines since 1946 , in: The great Ploetz. The encyclopedia of world history . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2008, p., ISBN 978-3-525-32008-2 , p. 1773 ff.
Web links
- Entry in Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments , September to December 1966
- Entry in Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments , January to June 1967
- Entry in Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments , July to December 1967
- Entry in Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments , January to June 1968
- Entry in Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments , July to December 1968
- Entry in Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments , 1969