On July 4, 1946, the Philippines attained its independence. Immediately after
World War II, the Philippines faced a number of challenges. The country had to be rebuilt from the ravages of war. It also had to come to terms with Japanese collaborators. Meanwhile, disgruntled remnants of the
Hukbalahap communist rebel army that had previously fought against and resisted the Japanese continued to roam the rural
regions. Eventually this threat was dealt with by Secretary of National Defense and later President
Ramon Magsaysay but sporadic cases of communist insurgency continued to flare up long afterward In 1965,
Ferdinand Marcos was elected president, his wife
Imelda Marcos at his side. Nearing the end of his second term and constitutionally barred from seeking a third, he declared
martial law on September 21, 1972. By using political divisions, the tension of the
Cold War, and the specter of communist rebellion and Islamic insurgency as justifications, he was able to govern by
decree.