The notion that history is written by the victors is both lazy and stupid. The tanks threatened to mow down the people blocking their way if the huge crowd would not clear the way, but the civilians stood path. February 25, 1986 marked a significant national event that has been engraved in the hearts and minds of every Filipino. Marcos gave an order to Brigadier General Artemio Tadiar to deploy armored vehicles from Fort Bonifacio, to Camp Aguinaldo, while artilleries were positioned to aim at Camp Crame. Leody de Guzman and Walden Bello offer more radical reforms. By the early 80s, our 14-year foray into dictatorship was a failure. That was the first time that I realized that Filipinos were really crazy if you awaken their emotions. In this blog, we will look back at the historical past, explaining why February 25 is celebrated every year in our democratic country. The People Power Revolution (also known as the EDSA Revolution and the Philippine Revolution of 1986) was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines that began in 1983 and culminated in 1986. The occasion commemorates the peaceful revolution which restored democracy in the country in 1986 and ended the 21-year rule of former president Ferdinand Marcos. EDSA or Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, is the giant ring road encircling Metro Manila where majority of the bloodless demonstrations that toppled . (Editors Note: We have just added another channel to reach Inbox World via the growing Facebook community. Two other Sikorsky helicopter gunships proceeded to Malaca?ang and attacked the Presidential Palace with air-to-ground rockets. No bloodshed Dr. Jose Balcanao, Benguet: During Edsa 1986, groups of harmless civilians and nuns went to Edsa and made sacrifices by blocking armored vehicles and tanks from attacking. To me, this is the relevance of the 1986 People Power Revolution today, 31 years later. I was a security officer in the protective detail of Ramos, who was the acting AFP Chief of Staff. No spam. We slept and ate there for three consecutive days through donations from people whom we did not even know. Selected comments will be published in The Philippine STAR Inbox World. And once, in a country in Southeast Asia, a peaceful revolution occurred that amazed the world. She writes for all sorts of topic to provide the right information and to keep the readers updated with the trends. Indeed it was a miracle!Tadiar was leading a column of Armored Landing Tank Vehicles (LTVs) and Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) and Philippine Marine troopers proceeding towards Camp Crame when they were blocked by thousands of civilians on Ortigas Avenue. I kept asking myself, Was it right to support them, just to oust Marcos? Parong recalled. Years later, the corruptor was replaced by more corruptors. NONOY LACZA THE People Power Monument gets cleaned in preparation for the 36th anniversary of the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution, the bloodless revolt that inspired similar regime changes elsewhere, and sent President Ferdinand Marcos to exile in Hawaii. Being the commander of the 4th Marine Provisional Brigade with two battalions under him, he was tasked to lead an assault on Ministry of Defense Building at Camp Aguinaldo. A National Bureau of Investigation report said the killings were a prelude to the staging of God Save the Queen, a coup plot blamed on the RAM to rid the Aquino Cabinet of left-wing members. Then the people came. AFABLE admitted that the military rebels had strategically linked with US authorities as early as September, even before Marcos called for a presidential election amid pressure from Washington. By the late 1960s, corruption prevented the im-plementation of sound policies, civil unrest grew, and economic growth began to slow, allowing several neighboring countries to surpass the . C.B. At the EDSA revolution it was the power of a people with a shared commitment that prevented bloodshed. inside Camp Crame grounds when triumph of people power was patently achieved. https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/418285-marcos-versus-sin-the-battle-of-wits-edsa-people-power, https://origins.osu.edu/milestones/people-power-revolution-philippines-1986. We went to Edsa and helped mobilize people, not just in support of the mutineers but because it was an uprising against the dictatorship, said Lidy. from February 22 to 25, 1986, a series of demonstration occurred, and it led to the removal of Ferdinand Marcos without violence or bloodshed. The EDSA People Power Revolution protest lasted for 4 days until February 25, 1986. Jaime Cardinal Sin, one of the men of the moment. Philstar Global Corp. All Rights Reserved. Ryan Pahimulin, Rizal: The number of people who trooped to Edsa was just unbelievable. Pitts Hizon, Pampanga: Who could ever forget the once-in-a-lifetime experience, being one of the millions of people from all walks of life marching along Edsa, chanting. Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: I remember the leap by Gen Eddie (FVR), et. After all, the Battle of Thermopylae, Custers Last Stand, The Fall of the Roman Empire, the outcome of the Crusades, plus much more wont be told to the public if there is a truth to that popular phrase. He was also hardly surprised that Enrile and Honasan have since mended ties with the Marcoses, throwing their support behind the strongmans son, Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr., in his bid this May 9 to regain the presidency his father lost. The Facts: The EDSA People Power Revolution was the culmination of the decades-long authoritarian rule of Ferdinand Marcos, whose family and allies are notorious for pilfering from the governments coffers, the World Bank, and International Monetary Funds and amassing billions in ill-gotten wealth while the Filipino people suffer from malnutrition and poverty. When Marcos ordered the military to repress the mass action, a faction of military officers refused and chose to defect instead. This was supposedly part of the LTO's gender and development program, but Bahaghari warned this could be harmful to the LGTBQ+ Koreans again lead Philippines top tourists. Two days later (February 22), after the declaration of Marcos as the winner, Cory Aquino led a protest rally estimated to have gathered millions of Filipinos in attendance along EDSA. In a photo quote released by Global Daily Mirror, actor Cesar Montano praises late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. for choosing peace and non-violence during the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. Afable confided that, at first, it was really only a matter of their survival after Malacaang uncovered a coup plot which, Afable said, was initially hatched by a group of disgruntled military officers led by then Col. Gregorio Gringo Honasan, who called themselves the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM). Nene Pimentel's one true legacy. It was a time in which people showed a true sense of nationalism. That the participants of the bloodless revolution were mobs and savages as the pious Marcos tolerated them. After Edsa, Afable continued to serve the government in various capacities, and, before returning home to Baguio, was part of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyos cabinet. Required fields are marked *. There was a sustained campaign of civil resistance against regime violence and electoral fraud. However, this announcement was met with ire as the National Movement of Free Elections (NAMFREL) at that time disputed the results of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). Protestors took to the streets in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, to demonstrate against dictatorship and restore democracy in the country. History degree from the University of the Philippines. The Philippines set an example as the first ever nonviolent . Tadiar pleaded to let them pass but the people remained undaunted. Dr. Jose Balcanao, Benguet: During Edsa 1986, groups of harmless civilians and nuns went to Edsa and made sacrifices by blocking armored vehicles and tanks from attacking. I.Q. Theyre so hard up. * Veteran journalist Joel C. Paredes is a former director-general of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and holds an A.B. When we arrived, the situation was already very tense - the Marines got their orders to attack Camp Aguinaldo and Crame. It was such an awesome sight where Pinoys were one in spirit, displayed boldly and courageously as people power. A decorated Marine soldier, who fought many battles in Mindanao, Tadiar came to a painful decision when he ordered his troops to stand down. At the height of the Edsa revolution, Dela Cruz claimed that the majority in the armed forces actually remained loyal to the President until the last minute.. Pag yan ay inalis o ginawang ineffective, mag-ingat tayo at mawawala yung tunay na demokrasya natin [if we remove or make those ineffective, we should be wary as we will lose genuine democracy], said Azcuna. Armando Tavera, Las Pias City: The euphoria that Edsa people power of 1986 has created is tremendous, that it has become a widely-known peaceful and bloodless revolution. JPE [Enrile] is really a pure pragmatist. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 1. Amihan shear line to bring cloudy skies and rain to Luzon, Visayas, SWERTRES RESULTS February 25, 2022 (Friday). In the history of every modern-day democracy, the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution stands out as the most astonishing, not only because it removed without bloodshed a cruel dictator in Ferdinand Marcos, but also because, all intents and purposes taken together, it has at least healed the malignancy of the Filipino nation's broken soul. Yet if anything has survived in 35 years of reforms since Edsa, its corruption, morphing across regimes. Manalastas, Manila: I vividly recall the peaceful outpouring of support of people from all walks of life to topple and replace the Marcos dictatorial regime. The people craned their necks to get a glimpse of the supersonic planes. I had mixed emotions then. "Isa sa rason bakit tayo malaya (It is one of the reasons why we're free)," Decena said on the value . Mr. Marcoss critics blamed the economic nosedive on the countrys deb-driven growth, along with the mismanagement of crony-monopolized sectors. William Gonzaga, Marikina City: Its the unprecedented unity of a divided people bound together by the common purpose of toppling the Marcos dictatorship. This site uses cookies. The U.S facilitated his escape to the American state of Hawaii, where he stayed until his death on September 28, 1989. Holders of drivers license with five-year or 10-year validity will no longer need to undergo the prescribed periodic LTO scraps periodic medical exam requirement for driver's license holders. No less than Bayan chair, the late Sen. Lorenzo Taada, the grand old man of the Philippine opposition, went on leave from the alliance, which was trying to build a wide anti-dictatorship network, and decided to campaign for Mrs. Aquino. 3. https://news.tv5.com.ph/bilangpilipino/read/fact-check-video-claiming-marcos-did-not-want-bloodshed-during-people-power-lacks-context. FORMER Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz concedes that people were already looking for a new direction amid the public outrage triggered by the 1983 Aquino assassination. This piece is republished with permission from Baguio Chronicle. Why is it important to subscribe? A fan of all things classic, a typical bookworm with books gathering dust, and a fiction writer on weekends. Next, I saw the former President Marcos alighting from the plane. Larry Parroco, Quezon City: The 1986 Edsa People Power is the best gift of the Filipino people to the world. Jim Veneracion, Naga City: The beauty of Edsa 1 was that it was bloodless and . The strongman had just been proclaimed winner of the February 7 snap elections against popular opposition candidate Corazon Aquino, widow of Benigno Ninoy Aquino Jr., who was gunned down on August 21, 1983, upon returning from a three-year US exile. The 1983 assassination of former Senator Ninoy Aquino served as the catalyst that propelled people to fight for the restoration of national freedom. Feb 25, 2013. Those Edsa memories will be kept treasured in my heart forever. I said to myself, perhaps this is the dawning of a new Philippines, with Filipinos being united at last and hopefully bringing about change. Nescel Panes, Passi City, Iloilo: I was in Grade 4 when Edsa happened. While Marcos was being sworn into office by then Chief Justice Ramon C. Aquino, a few minutes before noon of the same day, the televised coverage of the event was abruptly interrupted. For several years, there were struggles against the dictatorship and there were struggles for economic change, but Edsa would not have happened unless several sectors organized themselves, and they had been struggling for sectoral changes, she said. No suspect was charged in court. This event attracted not only the attention of the locals but also the international community. Meanwhile, Afable noted how, under liberal democracy, we have not moved upwards despite the promises of leaders in the post-Marcos era. There were documents citing the Catholic Church under the influential Cardinal Sin for making Marcos behave. There was a sustained campaign of civil resistance against regime violence and electoral fraud. For once, I wanted to make a decision for my country, Sotelo said. Alexander Raquepo, Ilocos Sur: It was an event where an Ilocano was removed from office. WE have romanticized the Philippine Revolution of 1986, also known as EDSA People Power Revolution so much that perhaps we got from it the wrong lesson. The Marcos years were also marked with extensive human rights abuses, which showed a pattern of widespread arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, killings and torture of people that were critical of the government, amounting to more than 50,000 victims (https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/04/five-things-to-know-about-martial-law-in-the-philippines). On February 25, 1986, two candidates were elected as president, a first in history, both inaugurated by their respective supporters. Then two PAF F-5 fighter jets thundered overhead. As Enrile and Ramos were meeting the press across Edsa in Camp Aguinaldo, our four teams from the Special Operations Group of the PC Special Action Force safeguarded Camp Crame - one team for each of the four gates into the camp. Cory came at the right time. And for this, I believe that Marcos should be buried in the Libingan ng Mga Bayani. Meanwhile, on the campaign trail, its interesting that all presidential aspirants promise reforms and a better life. According to its proponents, no one will care about mainstream history we have today, if there are untold truths being suppressed by the victors. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Nestor Chan, Manila: Edsa 1986 was a period in our history that we can truly be proud of. This was due to military rebels, supporters of the EDSA rally, disabling the transmitter of the Marcos-controlled channels 2, 9, and 13. It was, in my personal opinion, a blunder on the part of the late President. On the evening of February 25, Marcos, his family, and close allies fled to Hawaii. The Facts: The EDSA People Power Revolution was the culmination of the decades-long authoritarian rule of Ferdinand Marcos, whose family and allies are notorious for pilfering from the government's coffers, the World Bank, and International Monetary Funds and amassing billions in ill-gotten wealth while the Filipino people suffer from There are truths that could change the world if being told by the side of the losing team. I had no idea that after more than 20 years, the Philippines would be better off then compared to now. It was at this day that my anger and hatred against the former President Marcos increased, because I could no longer find my parked car at a side street of Edsa. Their vigil, she recalled, had included parents and their children, along with people who never really had any political involvement. The 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution was a peaceful protest of millions of Filipinos united against the dictatorship of former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. People kept coming with food and drinks as we shouted victory during the Tora-Tora bombing and the White Plains attack. 2016 marks the 30th anniversary of the People Power Revolution. 2. I and my companions prayed so hard. Hence, he had no choice but to order Ver to hold his shots, or else. Having paved the way for restoring democracy after over a. Manuel Abejero, Pangasinan: We were watching a live telecast of that conversation between the late President Ferdinand Marcos and his late Chief of Staff Gen. Fabian Ver. Still, he stressed, people should not forget the principle of accountability, enshrined in the 1987 Constitution which he helped write as a member of the constitutional commission. It was led by Cory Aquino, who was then elected as the 11th president of the Philippines after the defeat of Marcos. The revolution is also known as the "February Revolution" and the "People Power Revolution". We essentially remain a divided country, with continuing corruption and human rights violations among other ills and problems, he explained. Rey Ibalan, Antipolo City: I saw a huge crowd of people jumping in jubilation and chanting to mark the end of a dictatorship and the dawning of a new era. When engines roared, people started crying and embracing each other, thinking it was the end for all of us. Incredible but there was none. Research paper, Pages 7 (1523 words) Views. A month later, a platoon of government troops killed 17 farmers and their families, including six children, in Sitio Padlao in Lupao, Nueva Ecija, in retaliation for the death of their commanding officer who was sniped by New Peoples Army (NPA) guerrillas. If that is what they want, then so be it. 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