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The other Dictator, a Philippine Timeline

Note:

The First Three Presidents of these Timeline after Marcos are Danding Cojuangco, Cory Aquino(started as VP Running mate of Salvador Laurel and became the VP of the second term of Danding Cojuangco) and Fidel V. Ramos, that is a spoiler for you..




I

On January 17, 1981, President Marcos announced the lifting of martial law via Proclamation № 2045; in his address, he also inaugurated the "New Republic." Although martial law has ended, Marcos retained all of the presidential decrees, legislative powers and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus. The lifting of martial law was speculated to be due to the election of U.S. President Ronald Reagan, with whom Marcos wanted to have close relationship with and who was to be inaugurated only three days later, and the arrival of Pope John Paul II in the country. In February, the Interim Batasang Pambansa (parliament) passed a constitutional amendment that changed the parliamentary system of government to a semi-presidential modeled on that of France. The electorate approved the amendment on a plebiscite held on April. Marcos then called a presidential election to be scheduled on June.


The opposition originally, as early as April, had decided to boycott the election. The United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO), the main opposition umbrella group, wanted to clean the voters' list, a revamping of the Commission on Elections, a campaign to be held nationwide and that UNIDO accredited as a minority party. UNIDO and Marcos made a compromise. UNIDO one of the reasons why UNIDO refused to participate was Benigno Aquino, Jr. (who was in exile in Massachusetts) was not allowed to participate since only people fifty years old or older were allowed to participate (Aquino was 48 years old at the time), however, a compromise candidate was chosen aside from Benigno Aquino – Jovito Salonga.


Due to UNIDO joining and Marcos being weak the KBL and Nacionalista chose one of the brains behind the Martial Law as their candidate – Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco as their candidate.


Cojuangco’s 60% win against the 30% of Jovito Salonga was considered the second president after the establishment of the 1973 constitution.


Eduardo Cojuangco was inaugurated on June 30, 1981 at the Quirino Grandstand, with then United States Vice President George H.W. Bush in attendance. This is when Bush made the infamous praise for the former president Marcos.


"We love your adherence to democratic principles and to the democratic process."


Eduardo Cojuangco would continue the policies of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines and would be the one to open the Powerplant in Bataan started by Ferdinand E. Marcos, he would be the one called as the Other dictator.
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