Little-known Marcos Facts and Myths

The recent row over President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s plans of granting a Libingan ng mga Bayani burial for late strongman Ferdinand Marcos illustrates how issues concerning the Marcos family can serve to polarize Philippine society. But regardless of how you view the late president, whether you’re pro or anti-Marcos, there’s no denying the fact that Ferdinand Marcos was a remarkable man.

Here are a few little-known trivia to better illustrate the fact.

First, a few interesting facts…

Marcos had a photographic memory.

Almost everyone knows that Marcos was a smart man, but his intelligence was also complemented by his incredible memory. He had a photographic memory, which allowed him to memorize complex documents and text. Marcos knew the 1935 Philippine Constitution backwards and forwards and could supposedly recite it from memory.

Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who once worked as the strongman’s speechwriter, recalled that “He (Marcos) liked long speeches. I think that was 20 or 25 pages. And then, in the evening, I was there, of course. President Marcos recited the speech from memory.” (Quote from FilipiKnow.)