09-05-2008 21:57:38

The EDSA revolution - the downfall of Marcos

Lakas Ng Bayan: The People's Power/EDSA Revolution 1986

The murder of Benigno Aquino was the last drop, that resulted in the downfall of the Marcos dictatorship. The assassination of the biggest opposition leader of the Marcos regime was headline news throughout the entire world, except in the Philippines, where the media was controlled by Marcos.

The assassination resulted in a loss of trust in the business community, resulting in a 21% devaluation of the Peso, capital leaving the country at a rate of approximately 12 million us dollars every day. This caused the country to bankrupt by october 1983.

Marcos appointed various friends to investigate the assassination, and after several committees investigated (and some failed), the reports indicated that it was a military conspiracy.

Several people were taken to court, after which there was a sham of a trial, and the resulting protests called for Marcos to resign. The military leaders, who were supposed to have commited the crime, were acquitted.
Marcos then made a surprising announcement, stating that there would be new elections, on the 17th of January, 1986, which later changed to February 7, 1986. This was done, in hopes of restoring his legitimacy, attempting to reenact the 81% vote win in 1981.

This time though, Corazon Aquino, the late Benigno Aquino's widow, came into view, assisted by Cardinal Sin and Salvador Laurel, member of the long-standing rival of the Aquino's Laurel family.

The election was a fraud, with a lot of intimidation, vote buying and violence. Between 10 and 40 percent of the votes in some districts were removed from the registration lists.

After the voting, COMELEC, the government's commision of elections, announced that Marcos had won, while NAMFREL, the National Movement for Free Elections, a 300.000 volunteer large organisation, determined that Aquino was the winner. One day after the election, on February 8, the Catholic church declared the election a fraud.

On Sunday, February 8, the computer workers at COMELEC headquarters noticed discrepancies between the numbers they entered, and the numbers coming out at official announcements. In one of the first public protest actions, the workers en masse filed out the of the computer centre in protest.

The next few days, both Marcos and Aquino claimed victory. Marcos then referred to the National Assembly, for a decision in this. The Assembly, being under Marcos' control, declared a victory in his name. Aquino refused to accept this outcome, and called upon her followers for a rally at Rizal Park in Manila. Almost one million people gathered, listening to Aquino outline a campaign of national civil disobedience, and a boycott of all companies owned by Marcos, to start on February 25, the day of Marcos' re-inauguration.

As Aquino's boycott was taking hold, tension grew. Marcos intended to deal with this civil disobedience by declaring martial law, and arresting Aquino and 10000 members of the opposition. Rumours were growing that the Reform the Armed Forces movement were plotting a coup to preempt the declaration of martial law.
On Saturday, February 22, the Defence Secretary Enrile and Vice-Chief-of-staff Ramos, sent out an appeal for the military to join them in revolt, with only a few hundred soldiers to defend them. Then they headed to the boulevard named Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, EDSA.


By 11 pm, Agapito Aquino broadcasted over radio an appeal to the people to protect Ramos and Enrile. By midnight, 10000 people were on EDSA, chanting for Cory Aquino. A few hours later, Cardinal Sin repeated the call for support. 50000 people arrived. One hundred thousand people arrived. By morning, over a million people were on EDSA, chanting and blocking the two military camps on either side of EDSA.

Radio Veritas, by then, was the only station still broadcasting news about the revolt of the opposition. Early in the morning of Sunday, the transmitters were blown up. Radio Bandido joined in, and started broadcasting news about the revolt, protected by nuns at the entrance of the station.

A column of tanks was sent to EDSA, to dislodge the rebels. But with over a million unarmed civillians between them and the rebels, they refused. Early morning on Monday, February 24, several helicopter gunships were sent to EDSA, to attack the rebels. After several minutes of tense, thunderous hovering, the crew landed, and joined the rebels.

Later that morning, the rebels took over the government's main broadcasting complex in Quezon City. The tide hard turned: defections of the armed forces was taking place at a massive scale. The air force refused orders to attack the civilians and rebels, and instead one attack helicopter attacked the Malacanang Palace, firing 6 missiles at it.

The naval base at Cavite reported to the rebels that warships were on station at the mouth of the Pasig river, standing by for orders to attack the Malacanang Palace.

On the evening of Sunday, February 23, the American Secretary of State, Shultz, had advised the Philippine Ambassador in Washington, that Marcos had to step down, or face a civil war. Marcos received this message on Monday, February 24, with an extra message, stating that he was welcome to live in the United States.
By the morning of February 25, almost the entire armed forces had deserted peacefully, and supposed Aquino. In the suburban Manila nightclub, Club Filipino, Associate Justice Teehankee swore in President Corazon Aquino and her Vice-President Salvador Laurel at 10:30 AM, February 25, 1986. Two hours later, Marcos also took office in a separate ceremony at 12:30 PM in the Malacanang Palace. With the singular and ironic exception of the Ambassador from the Soviet Union, the diplomatic community did not attend the Marcos ceremony. The television broadcast of the ceremony was cut shortly after it began.


In the afternoon, an angry crowd gathered outside Macalanang Palace, demanding Marcos. Marcos telephoned Enrile, to ask for protection for him and his family to leave the Palace. American helicopters carried Marcos and 120 others to Clark Air base, after which Marcos was told by Aquino to leave the country, together with his party. They did so, and after going to Guam, ended up at Hawaii.


To see a documentary of this historical occasion, please click here.