Thirty‑seven years ago today, on September 28, 1989, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. died in Honolulu, Hawaii, a little over three years after the family was ousted from power and forced into exile. His death closed a turbulent chapter in Philippine political history, but it did not end the Marcos story.
Before his remains were allowed to return to the Philippines in 1993, the political re‑entry of the Marcos family had already begun. In 1991, President Cory Aquino permitted Mrs. Imelda Marcos and her son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., to come home. Bongbong arrived on October 31; Imelda followed on November 4. By the next year, Imelda ran (and lost) for president, while Bongbong secured a congressional seat in Ilocos Norte.
Those early steps marked the quiet rebuilding of a political base that had been shattered in 1986. It would take almost three decades before a Marcos would again occupy Malacañang, but the restoration began the moment they returned in 1991.
I know we cannot rewrite the past. But I still find myself wondering: had they not been allowed to return, or had they been barred from seeking public office, how different would our political landscape look today? This is not to reopen old debates, but to understand how decisions made in one moment can shape the trajectory of a nation.
The late strongman’s death and eventual burial were as controversial as the life he lived. Thirty‑one years ago this month, the remains of Marcos Sr. arrived in the Philippines under a carefully negotiated arrangement between the government and the Marcos family.
Then President Fidel V. Ramos, who was Marcos Sr.’s second cousin, allowed the return on the condition that the body would be brought directly to Ilocos Norte. On September 7, 1993, a chartered flight carrying the late president’s remains landed at the Laoag International Airport. The body was placed in the family mausoleum in Batac, where it remained in an air‑conditioned crypt for the next 23 years until its controversial burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in 2016— courtesy of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The negotiations were contained in an operation later known as “Oplan Pagbabalik,” which topped the agenda of a Cabinet meeting in August 1993. I wrote about this in my book “Behind the Red Pen,” published in 2022, where I detailed how the plan evolved from quiet back‑channel talks into a full government operation.
As a backstory, President Aquino had already approved the return of Marcos’ remains in 1992, but only after the May elections to avoid political tension during the campaign period. The responsibility of managing the return therefore fell on FVR, who was both a former military officer under Marcos and a key figure in the 1986 People Power Revolution.
By late 1992, discussions between the Marcos camp and the government were underway. Then Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III submitted a Plan of Action detailing the arrangements for the return and burial. The plan required simple rites, a four‑day wake schedule, and strict confinement of all activities within Ilocos Norte. The family agreed to waive military honors, and security was kept minimal to avoid politicizing the event.
Three task forces were created to oversee the operation: one in Ilocos Norte, one in Metro Manila, and one along the Region 1 highway. Continental Flight No. 11, a Boeing 727, was chartered to bring the body from Honolulu to Laoag via Guam. The coordination was precise, quiet, and deliberate — a reflection of how sensitive the matter remained even seven years after EDSA.
Although the Memorandum of Understanding for the return had been signed as early as August 1992, Imelda postponed the arrival for a year. By the time “Oplan Pagbabalik” was activated, then Congressman Roquito Ablan—not Bongbong—had become the family’s official representative, finalizing the terms for the September 1993 burial.
Looking back now, the return of Marcos Sr.’s remains was not just a logistical operation. It formed part of a longer political arc that began with exile, continued with repatriation, and eventually led to a full restoration of political influence. As we mark the 37th anniversary of FM’s death, it is worth reflecting on how these moments, and the decisions made decades ago, have shaped the country we live in today.
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