Politicians
First, who would forget the ever infamous former President Ferdinand Marcos? He declared Martial Law and is still the subject of many court battles and convictions up to this day. The alleged amounts stolen by then His Presidency along with the equally infamous “Marcos cronies” are not yet wholly determined. In fact, its “only here (in the Philippines)” that despite of the hardships and damages his dictatorship has caused, his family was actually allowed to come back and run for public office in the country. Two of President Marcos’ offspring, are presently very active political figures in Philippine politics, namely: Senator Imee Marcos and Congressman Bong-bong Marcos. His then very influential and equally controversial wife, Imelda Romualdez Marcos is again and still, a big figure in society. Together they pose an active force in the country’s political future.
On the other hand, the president who succeeded Mr. Ferdinand Marcos, who was greatly involved in the People Power Revolution of 1986 that finally ousted him, is a woman. She is the widow of then Senator Benigno Aquino, who was a very vocal figure in opposition to the Marcos dictatorship. Former President Corazon Aquino might be just a plain housewife to some of her critics, but she proved to be the hero when she finally accepted to run against President Marcos in the snap presidential elections of 1986, therefore uniting all parties of the opposition. It was not an easy decision for her, but given her unwavering faith, attending Masses every day and leading rallies after the death of her husband, she was the ultimate choice of the masses to represent them, believing she was the one choice who could topple the Marcos regime. The difficult duties and the corresponding responsibilities following that tumultuous time required total “cleansing” and over-all “renewing” of the Philippine nation and was not an easy feat. A nation badly tarnished which suffered physically and economically under the Marcos dictatorship for eleven long years, the Philippines needed someone firm and honest in his/her reforms as the succeeding leader. President Corazon C. Aquino more than deserves to be praised in uniting and reshaping a nation in shambles. And she has received numerous awards given here and abroad to honour this truly great woman.
The third famous leader in the political scene up to this day is former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, who to many could now be easily referred as the “infamous Erap” because of the impeachment trial which ousted him from the Presidency. He was a popular Filipino film actor and was elected the 13th President of the Philippine Republic on June 30, 1998. His tenure became controversial when he was alleged to be playing a big role in the illegal numbers game of the entire country and many other corrupt practices. He was the only Philippine President who was successfully overthrown because of the transparent bias of his political allies during his aborted impeachment trial. Hundreds of Filipinos resorted to the streets to show their protest against his anomalous and corrupt presidential term and to overthrow his government. This was eventually called EDSA II, in reference to where the first People Power Revolution took place to overthrow the Marcos dictatorship. He got back by saying his political enemies are just implementing dirty tactics, and tried to prove it through the staging of protests of his followers and fans to the streets, which came to be known as EDSA III. Nevertheless, he was still found guilty of plunder “beyond reasonable doubt” by the Sandiganban and was subsequently punished with reclusion perpetua, detained in his resthouse located in Tanay, Rizal. On September, 2007 he appealed his case by filing a motion for reconsideration, but in the next month of October, 2007 through his lawyer, he filed a withdrawal and sought pardon and release from detention, declaring his mother’s ailing condition to be the reason. Finally, some days following that, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo granted Executive Clemency to convicted plunderer Joseph E. Estrada, restoring his civil and political rights. The effect of this decision in the political arena is still hounded by controversy in both the opposition and ruling parties. Today, despite his fall and disgrace, Former President Joseph Estrada is still a force to be reckoned with on the future of Philippine politics.