Proclamation No. 1081 was the document which contained formal proclamation of martial law in the Philippines by President Ferdinand Marcos, as announced to the public on September 23, 1972. The proclamation marked the beginning of a 14-year period that would last until Marcos left the country on February 25, 1986. Even though the formal document proclaiming Martial Law – Proclamation No. 1081 – was formally lifted on January 17, 1981, Marcos retained essentially all of his powers as dictator until he was ousted after the EDSA Revolution in February 1986.