Deepening Crisis
Two things seemed to seal Ferdinand Marcos' fate, when Benigno Aquino was assassinated upon his return and the Philippines' deepening economic crises because of the mismanagement of the regime.
"August 21,1983. 'Ninoy' Aquino was murdered at Manila's airport. Returning home from exile, he was met in the plane by military security, separated from a group of foreign newsmen, and led out by a side door down a ramp lined by other soldiers. Aquino was dead before he touched Philippines soil."
- Marcos: The Rise and Fall of a Regime, 26
"From 1984 the economy began to decline, and continued to do so despite the government's recovery efforts. This failure was caused by civil unrest, rampant graft and corruption within the government and by Marcos' lack of credibility. Marcos himself diverted large sums of government money to his party's campaign funds. The unemployment rate ballooned from 6.30% in 1972 to 12.55% in 1985."
- Gross National Product, Ferdinand Marcos Quotes |
Even though Marcos was accused of murder, he continued his presidency and oppression of his peoples' rights. In 1985, he called for a Snap Election to justify his claims of legitimacy and for the continuation of his presidency.
Marcos hoped the Snap Election would bring back his supporters. This video is from Youtube.com.