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MODERN HISTORY - WWII TO 1993:
On July 4, 1946 the Republic of the Philippines was established with
Manuel Roxas as its first President. In Nov. 1965 Ferdinand Marcos was
elected President and again in 1969. During the late 1960's and early
1970's there was a growing insurgence of Communist and Muslim
guerrillas. In Sept. 1972 Pres. Marcos imposed Martial Law which
lasted until 1981 and ruled as a virtual dictator in an attempt to
crush the growing insurgence. In June 1981 Pres. Marcos was reelected
and in 1983 Benigno Aquino returned from exile in the US after he had
been reprieved from a death sentence that was imposed in 1972. In Aug.
1983 Aquino was shot dead at Manila Airport and his death resulted in
widespread antigovernment demonstrations. In Feb. 1986 presidential
elections between Marcos and Corazon Aquino, widow of Benigno,
resulted in Marcos claiming victory. Corazon Aquino called on "People
Power" a peaceful resistance to force Pres. Marcos from office. Marcos
was subsequently forced into exile when the military backed the People
Power. On Feb. 25, 1986 Aquino was inaugurated as President and in
1987 a new constitution was adopted. In Sept. 1989 former Pres. Marcos
died in exile. In Dec. 1989 there was an unsuccessful coup attempt
which lasted for 10 days and resulted in the deaths of over 100
people. In July 1990 Imelda Marcos was acquitted of racketeering,
fraud and obstruction of justice charges by a US court. Also in the
same month parts of the Philippines were devastated by an earthquake.
In mid 1991 Imelda Marcos returned to the Philippines after the ban on
her return was dropped. During 1991 Mt. Pinatubo on Luzon Island
erupted several times killing almost 300 people and leaving over
250,000 people homeless. In June 1991 the US announced that it would
be withdrawing from Clark Air Base by Sept. 16, 1992 after Mt.
Pinatubo had destroyed it beyond repair while in July the US agreed to
sign another 10 year lease on the Subic Naval Base, although in Sept.
1991 the Senate rejected the treaty. On Aug. 5, 1991 the military
commander of a breakaway faction of the Communist guerrillas, known as
the New People's Army (NPA), was arrested.
In Oct. 1991 the Philippines government and Pres. Aquino reached an
agreement over the Subic Naval Base with the US to withdraw within
three years. On Nov. 4, 1991 Imelda Marcos returned to Manila after
six years in exile to face charges of corruption and tax fraud. In
Jan. 1992 the director of the American Chamber of Commerce, Michael
Barnes was kidnapped by a faction of the Communist guerrillas. On Feb.
15, 1992 the NPA ambushed government soldiers on the island of
Mindanao killing 41 of them. In March 1992 a police raid on the NPA
resulted in the release of Michael Barnes and the death of 14 NPA
members. On June 30, 1992 Fidel V. Ramos former defense minister under
Aquino was inaugurated as President following elections held on May
11, 1992. Following Pres. Ramos' inauguration he persuaded the
Congress to lift a ban on the Communist Party of the Philippines and
pardoned two NPA leaders after the parties reached an agreement for
formal peace talks. In Aug. 1992 Mt. Pinatubo began erupting again
causing a further 72 deaths through lava and mud flows. On Sept. 30,
1992 the US Navy officially handed over the Subic Naval Base to the
Philippines government, which also resulted in the loss of some 40,000
local jobs. On Dec. 23, 1992 Gregorio Honasan of the Reform the Armed
Forces Movement emerged from hiding to sign a peace agreement with the
government. In 1993 the insurgence activities of the NPA dwindled with
some 1,000 guerrillas surrendering between 1992 and mid-1993 while
Pres. Ramos decreed that counter insurgence responsibilities of the
Army be handed over to the National Police by 1995. On April 24, 1993
the entire leadership including 23 police generals of the National
Police were dismissed for corruption. In May 1993 following
electricity shortages Pres. Ramos announced plans to convert their
idle nuclear power plant to nonnuclear power. In July 1993 Pres. Ramos
addressed the Congress over the country's population growth rate and
endorsed a family-planning program that met with opposition from the
Roman Catholic Church. On Sept. 7, 1993 former Pres. Marcos' body was
returned to the Philippines and later buried in northern Luzon. On
Sept. 24, 1993 Imelda Marcos was convicted of two charges of
corruption and sentenced to 9 to 12 years imprisonment. In Dec. 1993
the government reintroduced the death penalty.
Source: Yahoo Groups about the Philippines
If anyone knows which group this file came from please let me know.
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