is "Marcos loyalist," the term "cult of personality" around Ferdinand Marcos is often used not to refer to people specifically, but in a broader sense to the mechanism, including the techniques and structures, used to create a heroic or idealized image of Marcos as a ruler. Meanwhile, the term "Marcos revisionism" or "Marcos Historical negationism" have been used to refer to the Marcos family's propaganda after their return to Philippine politics, specifically to those materials intended to distort or reframe the historical facts of Marcos's life and rule. Early political career (1949–1965) Clientelism As with most Philippine politicians of his era Ferdinand Marcos achieved success largely by taking advantage of the client-patron relationships which dominated Philippine politics after Philippine independence. Among Ilocos politicians Once he achieved government authority, he used it to reward his supporters while limiting the power of other social groups and institutions. He styled himself as the Ilocos region's ticket to political prominence. In his first campaign, running for congressman of his family's already-established bailiwick, Ilocos Norte, "This is only a first step. Elect me a congressman now, and I pledge you an Ilocano president in 20 years." In the Philippine military On a more personal level, Marcos established relationships with the graduate officers and junior officers of the Philippine Military Academy early on. When he became president, Marcos appointed mostly Ilocano commanders to head the armed forces, such that 18 out of 22 generals of the Philippine Constabulary came from the Ilocos region and House Speaker Jose B. Laurel was alarmed enough to file a 1968 bill calling for the equal representation of all regions in the armed forces. Among the Marcos cronies He also established a small group of supporters in the business sector, whom he would later enable to establish monopolies in key economic sectors, wresting control from the political families which held them prior. Exaggerations of WWII exploits One early propaganda technique used by Marcos was to exaggerate his wartime activities during World War II. Marcos claimed to have led a guerrilla force called Ang Mahárlika (Tagalog, "The Freeman") in northern Luzon after the fall of Bataan. According to Marcos's claim, this force had a strength of 9,000 men. His account of events was later cast into doubt after a United States military investigation that exposed many of his claims as either false or inaccurate. Meanwhile, Marcos claimed that he was able to