The EDSA Revolution. When the people demonstrated power
The people have power. They demonstrated it many times in history. Especially, the late years of the XX century were full of people uniting and changing regimes all over the world. It was no different in the Philippines. Here we want to tell you a bit about the EDSA Revolution – when the people demonstrated power. But wait… wait… why did it happen and how? Let us go back in time to 1965.
The times where Philippines had second economy in Asia
In 1965 the Philippines held a Presidential election. The Nationalista Party’s nominee to run for the Office was Ferdinand Marcos Sr. He was the Senate President at that time. Marcos won the election picturing himself as a war hero (which according to historians was not true). It was, however, all good. In his first term he drove the economy by heavily investing in infrastructure… but it was financed by loans. Nevertheless he gained a huge popularity among most Filipinos and won the second term in the 1969 elections. And this is where the obstacles started arising…
The debt was soaring and the economic crisis knocked on the door of Filipinos. The hyperinflation was rampant and the Philippine peso experienced a huge devaluation. Obviously the dissatisfaction and opposition against Marcos started arising. People – leftists, students, Catholic Church – were protesting or loudly expressing discontent. It was all violently suppressed by security forces and supported by Marcos allies in the Philippines and abroad.
Martial Law – Dark times of the the independent Philippines
The Marcos second and the (constitutionally) last presidential term was slowly coming to an end. However, it was not his intention to give up the power. On 23 September 1972 Marcos Sr. seized the whole control over the country by declaring Martial Law. The official reason given was to guarantee security to Filipinos against all kinds of rebels in order to build a “New Society”. This followed by dissolvement of Congress and arresting opposition politicians and other opponents.
That was not all, however. Marcos Sr. moved quickly and in January 1973 with the support of his political allies he changed the political system in the Philippines. From then the country switched to a parliamentary system, with Marcos Sr. acting later as both the President and Prime Minister. Martial Law lasted nine years – until 1981 and this was the darkest period of the Independent Philippines. Censorship was put in place, human rights abuses were rampant and corruption reached an unprecedented scale. Thousands of citizens were arrested, tortured, killed or disappeared.
The light in the tunnel
Martial Law was lifted in 1981 and presidential elections were held. Ferdinand Marcos Sr. won by an enormous margin (88%) which was boycotted by many opponents. The discontent across the country was on the rise. One of the biggest opposition figures – Benigno Aquino Jr. – decided to come back from exile in the U.S. to bring democracy back. He landed in Manila on 21st August 1983, but did not even manage to leave the airport. Benigno (aka Ninoy) Aquino Jr. was shot in the head after exiting the plane. [The Manila airport is called Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to honour his life and death.]
According to many people this was a turning point leading to the end of Marcos Sr regime. Aquino’s assassination fuelled anger among the Filipinos. With the support of the Catholic Church and the entire pro-democracy movement, Aquino’s widow – Corazon (aka Cory), took his place as the main political opponent of Marcos Sr. Following the international growing pressure and criticism of his rule, Marcos Sr. announced the snap election on 4th November 1985.
The snap election
The snap election was held on 7th February 1986. To ensure the transparency and fairness of the vote the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) mobilized 400,000 (some sources cite even half a million) volunteers to monitor the process. At the same time, Radio Vertis also encouraged people to help with the efforts by prevention of ballot boxes theft and manipulation. According to NAMFREL’s unofficial count, Cory Aquino won the election. It, however, differed from the official count where Marcos Sr. was leading. In the protest, 30 (some sources claim 35) computer technicians from COMELEC (Commision on Elections) walked out from their posts.
On 15th February 1986, Marcos Sr. was proclaimed as the President. It triggered anger from fifty Members of Parliament who left in the protest. Cory Aquino held a rally on 16th February and called for civil disobedience. Filipinos responded swiftly by withdrawing money from banks associated with Marcoses and stopped serving and buying products merchandised by Marcos’ cronies (for example from San Miguel Corporation, Rustan’s Department Store and Bulletin Today’s newspaper).
The EDSA Revolution – People Power Rewolution
On 22nd February 1986 the situation escalated. The Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Armed Forces Vice Chief of Staff Fidel V. Ramos publicly announced their withdrawal of support for Marcos’ administration. They sought refuge at the military headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo. Jaime Cardinal Sin, Manila Archbishop, urged citizens via Radio Vertis to support Enrile and Ramos. Late Aquino’s brother – Butz – called on people to come to Cubao. It was planned to march from there to Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo where Enrile and Ramos defected. Both Camps were located along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Quezon City (part of Metro Manila). On 23d February, by midnight, around 10,000 people gathered at Cubao and started marching to EDSA. When they reached Camp Aguinaldo the crowd was estimated to be 20 000 people.
In just two days, thousands of people flocked to the area to show their support. This crowd included religious leaders, opposition politicians, students, and ordinary citizens, who gathered along EDSA, a major highway in Manila. They formed human barricades, facing down tanks and armed soldiers. They aimed to protect the defectors and to express their demands for democratic change. The revolution gained international attention, with media coverage broadcasting the events to the world. People Power became a powerful symbol of nonviolent resistance and inspired similar movements in other countries. This, however, was not enough for Marcos Sr. to step down.
The day when the new democracy era began
At 10:46 AM, On 25th February 1986, Cory Aquino was sworn in as the new President of the Philippines, accompanied by people singing “Bayan Ko” (anti-Marcos anthem). Several key military and political figures withdrew their support for Marcos and joined in applauding Aquino. An hour later Marcos tried to hold his own inauguration ceremony, but the live transmission was cut. With the loss of support, Marcos Sr. and his family fled the country, seeking exile in Hawaii.
The EDSA Revolution is often hailed as a triumph of the Filipino people’s collective will. By ending the Marcos’ regime, the People Power Revolution was a significant milestone in the country’s history. It symbolizes the power of peaceful protest and the capacity for change through unity and solidarity. The events of the revolution continue to be remembered and celebrated in the Philippines as a reminder of the importance of democracy and people’s participation in governance.
Author: Filip Wojciechowski (Kahibalo Foundation)
