III. Rivals and Roses
Light had a rival in L Lawliet, a detective whose identity is known by very few people. L wanted to capture Light to stop his killing spree, and Light wanted to kill L since he posed a very serious threat to the creation of his "new world". Similarly, Ferdie had a rival of his own.

Though he encountered many political foes in the past, the one who arguably became his ultimate rival was Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. Ninoy, as the people called him, continually criticized Ferdie's handling of the government, and Ferdie hated Ninoy for being "a congenital liar, a braggart, a compulsive chatterbox and a blabbermouth", not to mention accusing him of a being a "communist", which Ferdie hated so much. When Martial Law was declared, Ferdie ordered Ninoy to be sent to jail since he appeared to be a threat to his “New Society”, and Ninoy was soon led to live in self-exile in the United States. (Zamora, 2008)

Despite all of that, both Light and Ferdie have a fair amount of respect for their rivals. Long after the death of L, Light had been led to conclude the L was "indeed the greatest detective on earth" (as cited by "Quotes", n.d.). Similarly, Ferdie had been reported to have remarked in a leisurely conversation with his generals during the 1980s that Ninoy was "his best successor" and that he was "best qualified" to become "the next president" (Zamora, 2008).

For female companions, Light had Misa Amane, a beautiful woman who benefited from his killing spree and devoted herself to loving Light. Light didn't love her and actually loathed her, but he managed to use her in advancing his dream of a "new world" (as cited in "Light Yagami", n.d.), and went so far as to promise Misa that she will be her "queen" of that new world.

Meanwhile, Ferdie had Imelda Romualdez Marcos, a former beauty queen who charmed the politician and became his wife. Imelda became a significant member of Ferdie's presidency and his "New Society" by being appointed in several government positions under the martial law era (McDougald, 1987, p. 141). Just as Misa mesmerized many people with her model looks, Imelda caught the imagination of many individuals with her glamorous clothing and lifestyle.