| “ | Have Radio Veritas put off the air | „ |
| ~ Marcos ordering a radio station shut down |
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. is the main antagonist of the 1988 film and TV miniseries A Dangerous Life, loosely based on the real-life president of the same name.
He was played by the late Ruben Rustia.
Biography[]
A Dangerous Life[]
Ferdinand Marcos is first seen resting in Malacanang Palace when his wife, first lady Imelda Marcos enters. Armed Forces chief-of-staff General Fabian C. Ver (played by Merwyn Samson) informs her of Ninoy Aquino’s arrival to which Imelda speaks to Marcos about warning Ninoy not to return to the country after seeing him in New York three months prior, adding that "He wants to grab power”.
Following the assassination of Ninoy Aquino, Marcos organizes a press conference in Malacanang Palace where journalists ask him of the assassination and the culprit behind it. Among them are American corresponded Tony O'Neill and newspaper company president Ben Balamo. Marcos blames Galman, called a Communist hitman, for killing Ninoy Aquino. Later, the US State Department clears Marcos from responsibility with the assassination, which Tony does not believe.
The Malacanang hosts a palace reception for a US Senator Mike Hatfield, sent to inspect military installations. Marcos and his family are in attendance. He watches his wife sing "Feelings" alongside the other guests. Later, Marcos continues to blame the Communists for killing Ninoy. Talking to Hatfield, he says that despite “reforms” favoring the Communists, they have made the government “look bad” by the assassination.
At some point, a student protest happens in Mendiola where some of Marcos' men engage in a shootout that kills a dozen. The survivors either flee or get captured, with the latter being subjected to further abuse. When this incident reaches news airwaves, the middle to upper class, including businessmen and professionals, based in Makati, begin calls to force Marcos' resignation.
Marcos announces the formation of the Agrava Fact-Finding Board, a successor to an earlier fact-finding board, headed by then-Chief Justice Enrique Fernando, which met strong public disapproval. He sideline Enrile in favor of Ver. In response, Enrile started a movement that called for reforms in the military, and later planned to overthrow Marcos. Meanwhile, Metrocom chief General Prospero Olivas and Ver face the Agrava Fact-Finding Board.
After an expert speaks to Tony about how Ninoy was killed before stepping on the ground, the latter suspects Ver has a hand. The expert then informs him of a aircraft maintenance engineer being a witness to the real shooter; in a closed-door session, the ground engineer then testified to the Agrava Board that he saw a military man behind Ninoy shot him on the fourth step from the bottom. By March 1984, the Agrava Board’s version of events had begun to contradict the government’s version of the Aquino killing; the Board releases two reports on its probe of the Ninoy killing in which the majority report identifies Ver as having a direct hand.
The Sandiganbayan Court charges Ver and 25 others for the killing of Ninoy but they were cleared in 1985. Marcos becomes furious when Honasan, et al. tell him about RAM and believes that the movement is an attack on him, and that he would not tolerate it. At some point, Marcos announces on American television that he is willing to hold a snap election; Ninoy's widow Corazon decided to run as president after seeing this. Marcos tells Enrile that he wants a “maximum effort” from him, and that he wants three million votes.
As Marcos and Imelda sing “Dahil sa Iyo” in English during a campaign, two people shouting anti-Marcos slogans are shot at the back of their heads. Cory unleashes her chip against Marcos, stating that she has “no experience in cheating, stealing, lying, or assassinating political opponents.”
Soon, rumors of Marcos' war medals' authenticity begin to spread. Marcos asks Ben to come to the Palace, where he offers him a job position to be a consul general in San Francisco, California, promising to shoulder the expenses; Ben considers this and asks Marcos to give him time to discuss the matter with his family. Marcos then tells him of the rumor and warns him not to publish the war medals story on his paper. Though Ben promises not to do so, he publishes it anyway; the story reaches Olivas, who thanks Ben for his actions, stating that it saves his son's life. Olivas then warns Ben to leave the country with his family, showing his name in a list of people to arrested when Operation/Oplan Everlasting is put into place; he presents Ben airline tickets, money, and other needs, which the latter takes for his family to flee.
As Cory holds her victory rally, asking everyone to protest on the day of Marcos’ inauguration and to boycott products and services of crony-owned enterprises, Ver informs Marcos that the coup would take place on Sunday, 23 February; Marcos knows Enrile and Ramos have since defected. Meanwhile, Ramos and Enrile hold the historic press conference where they announce their defection, wherein the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines lends support. Ninoy's younger brother, Agapito, joins in and calls for people to come to the two camps. Butz goes on Radio Veritas to reiterate Enrile’s request.
In the Palace, Imelda orders Marcos to wipe them out. Marcos orders Ver to attack once the civilians are cleared. Ver suggests that they talk first with the rebels to determine their positions. Marcos then demands that Radio Veritas be taken off the air before he comes on TV, stressing that he will not resign, and that he will release artillery on the two camps to finish Enrile, Ramos, and RAM.
Marcos tells Imelda that there are a million people on EDSA. Imelda tries to reassure him that the Philippines would not settle for a “housewife” as President, to no avail. Marcos storms off, goes to Ver’s office, and orders him to move. Loyalist tanks move toward the camps as the people at EDSA, including nuns an an old woman, block their path and ask Brigadier General Artemio A. Tadiar, Jr. not to proceed. The move is successful as Sikorsky helicopters appear on the sky and land on Camp Aguinaldo. Enrile, Ramos, and RAM welcome the defecting 15th Striker Wing, led by Colonel Antonio Sotelo.
Radio Veritas's backup transmitter fails and they shift to broadcasting via Radyo Bandido, Its chief anchor June Keithley introduces listeners to Cory, who states the news that Marcos had fled (which turned out to be false) and announces that she would be sworn in as the President on the next day. Marcos is enraged as he listens to her announcement. As Marcos tells the audience via live TV feeds that he is still in control, the signal is cut as the rebels take the station. Col. Sotelo then launches an air assault on the Palace, frightening the first family and their supporters.
Both Marcos and Cory are sworn in as president: the former in the Maharlika Hall of Malacanang and the latter in Club Filipino. Marcos appears on Channel 9 saying that the rebels wanted to harm his family and have taken over Channel 4. He then announces a curfew, which everyone in EDSA ignores. At this point, the American government realizes that Marcos must go. Through Ambassador Stephen Bosworth, the US president tells Marcos that a peaceful transition of power must come. Marcos and Imelda initially resist, but they start packing for their own good after being reiterated of the order by US Senator Paul Laxalt, telling Marcos himself the now-famous, “I think you should cut, and cut cleanly. I think the time has come”. Marcos and Imelda continue packing: gowns, paintings, money, gold. Imelda gives jewelry to her employees as parting gifts.
The deposed family crosses the Pasig River to which Ver brags, “We should have bombed them on that first day. Things would have been different.” Later, when ordered to surrender his gun, Ver refuses and makes threats. While boarding a helicopter, Marcos orders the pilot to take him to his hometown in North Ilocos but the latter refuses. The family flies to Clark Air Base where their belongings are loaded on a Hawaii-bound US Air Force plane. Tony and his cameraman enter the Palace, capturing Marcos’ medicines, remaining possessions such as films, and Imelda’s three thousand pairs of shoes. They then witness the crowd storming the palace and celebrating the downfall of the Marcoses as Cory does the same separately with her officials.
As the Philippines continues to celebrate their victory, a depressed Marcos sits and reflects inside the plane while his family watches in silence. Imelda sings New York New York.
Trivia[]
- Ruben Rustia's portrayal of Ferdinand Marcos was widely praised by the media, noting his tone, voice, and mannerisms, mirrored those of the real Marcos. It was also simultaneously criticized because of the depiction of Marcos being in healthy shape while still in the early stages of ailing health; the real Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was already in the critical stages of deteriorating health during the period the film is set.
- This element was also applied to Laurice Guillen's portrayal of Cory Aquino, albeit that it was based on the inaccurate design of her prosthetic nose makeup whilst the acting was applauded.
Gallery[]
