People Power Revolution

The People Power Revolution (also known as the EDSA Revolution, the Philippine Revolution
of 1986, EDSA 1986, EDSA I and EDSA People Power) was a series of popular demonstrations in
the Philippines, mostly in the capital city of Manila from February 22–25, 1986. There was a
sustained campaign of civil resistance against regime violence and alleged electoral fraud.
The nonviolent revolution led to the departure of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, the end of his 21-year
presidential rule, and the restoration of democracy in the Philippines.[4]
It is also referred to as the Yellow Revolution due to the presence of yellow ribbons during
demonstrations following the assassination of Filipino senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr.[4] in
August 1983. It was widely seen as a victory of the people against two decades of presidential rule
by President Marcos, and made news headlines as "the revolution that surprised the world".[5]
The majority of the demonstrations took place on a long stretch of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue,
more commonly known by its acronym EDSA, in Metro Manila from February 22–25, 1986. They
involved over two million Filipino civilians, as well as several political and military groups, and
religious groups led by Cardinal Jaime Sin, the Archbishop of Manila, along with Catholic Bishops'
Conference of the Philippines President Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, the Archbishop of Cebu. The
protests, fueled by the resistance and opposition from years of governance by President Marcos and
his cronies, culminated with the absolute rule and his family fleeing Malacañang Palace to exile
in Hawaii. Ninoy Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino, was immediately installed as
the eleventh President as a result of the revolution.[6]

People Power Revolution

Date February 22–25, 1986

Location Philippines, primarily Epifanio de los

Santos Avenue, Metro Manila

 Killing of Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983

Caused by
  Fraud during the 1986 Presidential
snap elections

 Decades of oppressive and

totalitarian rule

Goals Removal of Ferdinand Marcos and

installation of Corazon Aquino as

President

Resulted in Revolutionary victory

 Removal of Ferdinand Marcos from

office
End of Marcos era (1965–86)

 Marcos exiled to Hawaii

 Start of the Fifth Philippine Republic

 Corazon Aquino becomes President

of the Philippines

Parties to the civil conflict

People Power Marcos government

revolutionaries
Political groups:
 Armed Forces of the
Philippines
 UNIDO  Forces loyal to
 PDP–Laban Marcos
 Liberal Party  Presidential Security
Group[3]
Military defectors:
Government parties:
 Reform the Armed
Forces Movement  Kilusang Bagong
 Defected soldiers Lipunan

Others:

 Anti-Marcos civilian
protesters
Religious groups:

 Archdiocese of Manila
 CBCP[1]
 Protestant churches of
the Philippines
 Militant groups:

 Bagong Alyansang
Makabayan[1][2]
 Kilusang Mayo
Uno
 League of Filipino
Students
 Christians for
National Liberation

Lead figures

Corazon Aquino Ferdinand Marcos

Salvador Laurel Imelda Marcos
Juan Ponce Enrile Fabian Ver
Fidel V. Ramos
Gringo Honasan
Jaime Cardinal Sin

Number

2,000,000+ protestors No figures available

Background and history[edit]

Main article: Ferdinand Marcos

Ferdinand Marcos became the longest-serving Philippine president for 20 years.

President Ferdinand E. Marcos was elected president in 1965, defeating incumbent President
Diosdado Macapagal by a margin of 52 to 43 percent. During this time, Marcos was very active in
the initiation of public works projects and the intensification of tax collections. Marcos and his
government claimed that they "built more roads than all his predecessors combined, and more
schools than any previous administration".[7] Amidst charges from the opposition party of vote buying
and a fraudulent election, President Marcos was reelected in the Philippine presidential election,
1969, this time defeating Sergio Osmeña, Jr. by 61 to 39 percent.
President Marcos' second term for the presidency was marred by allegations by the
opposition Liberal Party of widespread graft and corruption. According to leftists who rioted during
the First Quarter Storm, the increasing disparity of wealth between the very wealthy and the very
poor that made up the majority of the Philippines' population led to a rise in crime and civil unrest
around the country. These factors, including the formation of the New People's Army and a bloody
Muslim separatist movement in the southern island of Mindanao led by the Moro National Liberation
Front, contributed to the rapid rise of civil discontent and unrest in the country.[citation needed]
A constitutional convention, which had been called for in 1970 to replace the Commonwealth
era 1935 Constitution, continued the work of framing a new constitution after the declaration of
martial law. The new constitution went into effect in early 1973, changing the form of government
from presidential to parliamentary and allowing President Marcos to stay in power beyond 1973. The
constitution was approved by 95% of the voters in the Philippine constitutional plebiscite.
President Marcos was barred from running for a third term as president in 1973. On September 23,
1972, by virtue of a presidential proclamation (No. 1081), he declared martial law, citing rising civil
disobedience as a justification. Through this decree and after obtaining voters consent through the
plebiscite, President Marcos seized emergency powers giving him full control of the Philippines'
military and the authority to suppress and abolish the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press,
and many other civil liberties. President Marcos also dissolved the Philippine Congress and shut
down media establishments critical of the Marcos Administration.[8]
President Marcos also ordered the immediate arrest of his political opponents and critics. Among
those arrested were Senate President Jovito Salonga, Senator Jose Diokno, and Senator Benigno
Aquino Jr., who Marcos linked with the Communists[9] and the man who was groomed by the
opposition to succeed President Marcos after the 1973 elections.[8] On November 25, 1977, the
Military Commission charged Aquino along with his two co-accused, NPA leaders Bernabe
Buscayno (Commander Dante) and Lt. Victor Corpuz, guilty of all charges and sentenced them to
death by firing squad.[10]
In 1978, while still in prison, Aquino founded his political party, Lakas ng Bayan (abbreviated
"LABAN"; English: People's Power) to run for office in the Interim Batasang Pambansa (Parliament).
All LABAN candidates lost, including Ninoy himself.
With practically all of his political opponents were arrested and in exile, President Marcos' pre-
emptive declaration of martial law in 1972 and the ratification of his new constitution by more than
95% of voters enabled Marcos to effectively legitimize his government and hold on to power for
another 14 years beyond his first two terms as president. In a Cold War context, Marcos retained the
support of the United States through Marcos' promise to stamp out communism in the Philippines
and by assuring the United States of its continued use of military and naval bases in the
Philippines.[8]

Assassination of Ninoy Aquino[edit]

Main article: Assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.
Despite warnings from the military and other First Lady Imelda R. Marcos, Ninoy Aquino was
determined to return to the Philippines. Asked what he thought of the death threats, Ninoy Aquino
responded, "The Filipino is worth dying for."[11]
At that time, Ninoy's passport had expired and the renewal had been denied. Ninoy therefore
acquired a plan to acquire a fake passport with the help of Rashid Lucman,[12][13] The passport carried
the alias Marcial Bonifacio (Marcial for martial law and Bonifacio for Fort Bonifacio, his erstwhile
prison).[14]
On August 21, 1983, after a three-year exile in the United States, Aquino was assassinated as he
disembarked from a Taiwanesecommercial flight at the Manila International Airport (which was later
renamed in Aquino's honor).[15] His assassination shocked and outraged many Filipinos, most of
whom had lost confidence in the Marcos administration. The event led to more suspicions about the
government, triggering non-cooperation among Filipinos that eventually led to outright civil
disobedience.[16] It also shook the Marcos Administration, which was by then deteriorating due, in
part, to Marcos' worsening health and ultimately fatal illness (lupus erythematosus).[citation needed]
The assassination of Ninoy Aquino caused the Philippines economy to deteriorate even further, and
the government plunged further into debt. By the end of 1983, the Philippines was in an economic
recession, with the economy contracting by 6.8%.[17]
In 1984, Marcos appointed a commission, led by Chief Justice Enrique Fernando, to launch an
investigation into Aquino's assassination. Despite the commission's conclusions, Cardinal Jaime Sin,
the Archbishop of Manila, declined an offer to join the commission and rejected the government's
views on the assassination.

Calls for election[edit]

Main article: Philippine presidential election, 1986
On November 3, 1985, after pressure from the US government,[18] Marcos suddenly announced that
a snap presidential election would take place the following year, one year ahead of the regular
presidential election schedule, to legitimize his control over the country.[19] The snap election was
legalized with the passage of Batas Pambansa Blg. 883 (National Law No. 883) by the Marcos-
controlled unicameral congress called the Regular Batasang Pambansa.[20]
The growing opposition movement encouraged Ninoy Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino, to run for
the presidency. United Opposition (UNIDO) leader, Salvador Laurel, who earlier filed his candidacy
as an official UNIDO candidate for the presidency, gave way to Cory after a political deal which was
later reneged by Cory after the election. Salvador Laurel eventually ran as Cory Aquino's running
mate for vice-president under the United Opposition (UNIDO) party. Marcos ran for re-election,
with Arturo Tolentino as his running mate under the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) party.[20]

1986 election[edit]
Main article: Philippine presidential election, 1986
The elections were held on February 7, 1986.[19] The official election canvasser, the Commission on
Elections (COMELEC), declared Marcos the winner. The final tally of the COMELEC had Marcos
winning with 10,807,197 votes against Aquino's 9,291,761 votes. On the other hand, based on
returns of 70% of the precincts[21] of the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), an
accredited poll watcher, had Aquino winning with 7,835,070 votes against Marcos' 7,053,068
votes.[22]
This electoral exercise was marred by widespread reports of violence and tampering of election
results, culminating in the walkout of 30 COMELEC computer technicians to protest the deliberate
manipulation of the official election results to favor Ferdinand Marcos. The walkout was considered
as one of the early "sparks" of the People Power Revolution. The walkout also served as an
affirmation to allegations of vote-buying, fraud, and tampering of election results by the KBL.[23][24]
Because of reports of alleged fraud, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)
through Cardinal Ricardo Vidal issued a statement condemning the elections. The United States
Senate also passed a resolution stating the same condemnation.[19] US president Ronald
Reagan issued a statement calling the fraud reports as "disturbing" but he said that there was fraud
"on both sides" of the Philippine election.[25][26] In response to the protests, COMELEC claimed that
Marcos with 53 percent won over Aquino. However, NAMFREL countered that the latter won over
Marcos with 52 percent of votes.[27]
On February 15, Marcos was proclaimed by COMELEC and Batasang Pambansa as the winner
amidst the controversy. All 50 opposition members of the Parliament walked out in protest. The
Filipino people repudiated the results, asserting that Aquino was the real victor. Both "winners" took
their oath of office in two different places, with Aquino gaining greater mass support. Aquino also
called for coordinated strikes and mass boycott of the media and businesses owned by Marcos'
cronies. As a result, the crony banks, corporations, and media were hit hard, and their shares in the
stock market plummeted to record levels.[citation needed]

Vidal's declaration[edit]
Cardinal Vidal, after the result of the snap election, issued a declaration in lieu of the Philippine
Church hierarchy stating that when "a government does not of itself freely correct the evil it has
inflicted on the people then it is our serious moral obligation as a people to make it do so." The
declaration also asked "every loyal member of the Church, every community of the faithful, to form
their judgment about the February 7 polls" and told all the Filipinos, "Now is the time to speak up.
Now is the time to repair the wrong. The wrong was systematically organized. So must its correction
be. But as in the election itself, that depends fully on the people; on what they are willing and ready
to do."[28]

Events[edit]
Aborted military coup[edit]
Appalled by the bold and apparent election irregularities, the Reform the Armed Forces
Movement set into motion a coup attempt against Marcos. The initial plan was for a team to assault
Malacañan Palace and arrest Ferdinand Marcos. Other military units would take over key strategic
facilities, such as the airport, military bases, the GHQAFP in Camp Aguinaldo, and major highway
junctions to restrict counteroffensive by Marcos-loyal troops.
However, after Marcos learned about the plot, he ordered their leaders' arrest,[29] and presented to
the international and local press some of the captured plotters, Maj. Saulito Aromin and Maj.
Edgardo Doromal.[30]
Threatened with their impending imprisonment, Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and his fellow
coup plotters decided to ask for help from then AFP Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen Fidel Ramos, who
was also the chief of the Philippine Constabulary (now the Philippine National Police). Ramos
agreed to resign from his position and support the plotters. Enrile also contacted the highly influential
Cardinal Archbishop of Manila Jaime Sin for his support.
At about 6:30 p.m. on February 22, Enrile and Ramos held a press conference at Camp Aguinaldo,
where they announced that they had resigned from their positions in Marcos' cabinet and were
withdrawing support from his government. Marcos himself later conducted his own news conference
calling on Enrile and Ramos to surrender, urging them to "stop this stupidity".[31]

Sin's appeal[edit]
After Cardinal Vidal's condemnation of the snap election's fraudulent result, a message was aired
over Radio Veritas at around 9 p.m., Cardinal Sin exhorted Filipinos in the capital to aid rebel
leaders by going to the section of EDSA between Camp Crame and Aguinaldo and giving emotional
support, food and other supplies. For many this seemed an unwise decision since civilians would not
stand a chance against a dispersal by government troops. Many people, especially priests and nuns,
still trooped to EDSA.[31]
Radio Veritas played a critical role during the mass uprising. Former University of the
Philippines president Francisco Nemenzo stated that: "Without Radio Veritas, it would have been
difficult, if not impossible, to mobilize millions of people in a matter of hours." Similarly, a certain
account in the event said that: "Radio Veritas, in fact, was our umbilical cord to whatever else was
going on."[32]

Rising mass support[edit]

During the height of the revolution, an estimated three hundred to five hundred thousand people filled EDSA
from Ortigas Avenue all the way to Cubao. The photo above shows the area at the intersection of EDSA and
Boni Serrano Avenue, just between Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo.

At dawn, Sunday, government troops arrived to knock down the main transmitter of Radio Veritas,
cutting off broadcasts to people in the provinces. The station switched to a standby transmitter with a
limited range of broadcast.[32] The station was targeted because it had proven to be a valuable
communications tool for the people supporting the rebels, keeping them informed of government
troop movements and relaying requests for food, medicine, and supplies.[31]
Still, people came to EDSA until it swelled to hundreds of thousands of unarmed civilians. The mood
in the street was actually very festive, with many bringing whole families. Performers entertained the
crowds, nuns and priests led prayer vigils, and people set up barricades and makeshift sandbags,
trees, and vehicles in several places along EDSA and intersecting streets such as Santolan and
Ortigas Avenue. Everywhere, people listened to Radio Veritas on their radios. Several groups
sang Bayan Ko (My Homeland),[33] which, since 1980, had become a patriotic anthem of the
opposition. People frequently flashed the 'LABAN' sign,[34] which is an "L" formed with their thumb
and index finger. 'Laban' is the Tagalog word for 'fight', but also the abbreviation of Lakas ng Bayan,
Ninoy Aquino's party.
After lunch on February 23, Enrile and Ramos decided to consolidate their positions. Enrile crossed
EDSA from Camp Aguinaldo to Camp Crame amidst cheers from the crowd.[31]
In the mid-afternoon, Radio Veritas relayed reports of Marines massing near the camps in the east
and LVT-5 tanks approaching from the north and south. A contingent of Marines with tanks and
armored vans, led by Brigadier General Artemio Tadiar, was stopped along Ortigas Avenue, about
two kilometers from the camps, by tens of thousands of people.[35] Nuns holding rosaries knelt in front
of the tanks and men and women linked arms together to block the troops.[36] Tadiar asked the
crowds to make a clearing for them, but they did not budge. In the end, the troops retreated with no
shots fired.[31]
By evening, the standby transmitter of Radio Veritas failed. Shortly after midnight, the staff were able
to go to another station to begin broadcasting from a secret location under the moniker "Radyo
Bandido" (Outlaw Radio, which is now known as DZRJ-AM). June Keithley, with her husband Angelo
Castro, Jr., was the radio broadcaster who continued Radio Veritas' program throughout the night
and in the remaining days.[31]
More military defections[edit]
At dawn on Monday, February 24, the first serious encounter with government troops occurred.
Marines marching from Libis, in the east, lobbed tear gas at the demonstrators, who quickly
dispersed. Some 3,000 Marines then entered and held the east side of Camp Aguinaldo.[31]
Later, helicopters manned by the 15th Strike Wing of the Philippine Air Force, led by Colonel Antonio
Sotelo, were ordered from Sangley Point in Cavite (South of Manila) to head to Camp
Crame.[37] Secretly, the squadron had already defected and instead of attacking Camp Crame,
landed in it, with the crowds cheering and hugging the pilots and crew members.[31]
A Bell 214 helicopter piloted by Major Deo Cruz of the 205th Helicopter Wing and Sikorsky S-
76 gunships piloted by Colonel Charles Hotchkiss of the 20th Air Commando Squadron joined the
rebel squadron earlier in the air. The presence of the helicopters boosted the morale of Enrile and
Ramos who had been continually encouraging their fellow soldiers to join the opposition
movement.[31] In the afternoon, Aquino arrived at the base where Enrile, Ramos, RAM officers and a
throng were waiting.[37]

The capture of Channel 4[edit]

At around that time, June Keithley received reports that Marcos had left Malacañang Palace and
broadcast this to the people at EDSA. The crowd celebrated and even Ramos and Enrile came out
from Crame to appear to the crowds. The jubilation was however short-lived as Marcos later
appeared on television on the government-controlled Channel 4,[38](using the foreclosed ABS-
CBN facilities, transmitter and compound) declaring that he would not step down. It was thereafter
speculated that the false report was a calculated move against Marcos to encourage more
defections.[31]
During this broadcast, Channel 4 suddenly went off the air. A contingent of rebels, under Colonel
Mariano Santiago, had captured the station. Channel 4 was put back on line shortly after noon,
with Orly Punzalan announcing on live television, "Channel 4 is on the air again to serve the people."
By this time, the crowds at EDSA had swollen to over a million. (Some estimates placed them at two
million.)[31]
This broadcast was considered the "return" of ABS-CBN on air because this was the time when
former employees of the network were inside the complex after 14 years of closure since Marcos
took it over during the Martial Law of 1972. "Radyo Bandido" ended broadcasting that afternoon,
while Radio Veritas resumed transmissions, this time from the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center's
radio studios.
In the late afternoon, rebel helicopters attacked Villamor Airbase, destroying presidential air assets.
Another helicopter went to Malacañang, fired a rocket, and caused minor damage. Later, most of the
officers who had graduated from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) defected. The majority of
the Armed Forces had already changed sides.[31]

Marcos orders not to shoot[edit]

Prior dialogues to stop the revolution have not succeeded with the Armed Forces of the Philippines,
which was led by General Fabian Ver. AFP was ready to mount an air strike on the day but was
halted under orders of Marcos.
The actual dialogue on TV between Marcos and then AFP Chief of Staff General Fabian Ver went as
follows:[39]
Fabian Ver: The Ambush there is aiming to mount there in the top. Very quickly, you must
immediately leave to conquer them, immediately, Mr. President.
Ferdinand Marcos: Just wait, come here.
Ver: Please, Your Honor, so we can immediately strike them. We have to immobilize the helicopters
that they've got. We have two fighter planes flying now to strike at any time, sir.
Marcos: My order is not to attack. No, no, no! Hold on. My order is not to attack.
Ver: They are massing civilians near our troops and we cannot keep on withdrawing. You asked me
to withdraw yesterday-
Marcos (interrupting): Uh yes, but ah... My order is to disperse without shooting them.
Ver: We cannot withdraw all the time...
Marcos: No! No! No! Hold on! You disperse the crowd without shooting them.

Two inaugurations[edit]

Corazon Aquino was inaugurated as the 11th president of the Philippines on February 25, 1986 at Sampaguita
Hall (Now Kalayaan Hall).

On the morning of Tuesday, February 25, at around 7 a.m., a minor clash occurred between loyal
government troops and the reformists. Snipers stationed atop the government-owned Channel 9
tower, near Channel 4, began shooting at the reformists. Many rebel soldiers surged to the
station,[31] and a rebel S-76 helicopter later shot the snipers at the broadcast tower. The troops later
left after a V-150 was blocked by the crowd assembled.
Later in the morning, Corazon Aquino was inaugurated as President of the Philippines in a simple
ceremony at Club Filipino[40]in Greenhills, about a kilometer from Camp Crame. She was sworn in as
President by Senior Associate Justice Claudio Teehankee, and Laurel as Vice-President by Justice
Vicente Abad Santos. The Bible on which Aquino swore her oath was held by her mother-in-law
Aurora Aquino, the mother of Ninoy Aquino. Attending the ceremonies were Ramos, who was then
promoted to General, Enrile, and many politicians.[31]
Outside Club Filipino, all the way to EDSA, hundreds of people cheered and celebrated. Bayan
Ko (My Country, a popular folk song and the unofficial National Anthem of protest) was sung after
Aquino's oath-taking. Many people wore yellow, the color of Aquino's campaign for presidency.
An hour later, Marcos held the inauguration at Malacañang Palace. Loyalist civilians attended the
ceremony, shouting "Marcos, Marcos, Marcos pa rin! (Marcos, Marcos, still Marcos!)". On the Palace
balcony, Marcos took the Oath of Office, broadcast by IBC-13 and GMA-7.[31] None of the invited
foreign dignitaries attended the ceremony, for security reasons. The couple finally emerged on the
balcony of the Palace before 3,000 KBL loyalists who were shouting, "Capture the snakes!"[41] Rather
tearfully,[41] First Lady Imelda Marcos gave a farewell rendition of the couple's theme song – the
1938 kundiman "Dahil Sa Iyo" (Because of You) – chanting the song's entreaties in Tagalog:
Because of you, I became happy
Loving I shall offer you
If it is true I shall be enslaved by you
All of this because of you.[41]
The broadcast of the event was interrupted as rebel troops successfully captured the other
stations.[31]
By this time, hundreds of people had amassed at the barricades along Mendiola, only a hundred
meters away from Malacañang. They were prevented from storming the Palace by loyal government
troops securing the area. The angry demonstrators were pacified by priests who warned them not to
be violent.[31]

Marcos' departure[edit]
At 3:00 p.m. (EST) on Monday, President Marcos phoned United States Senator Paul
Laxalt,[41] asking for advice from the White House. Laxalt advised him to "cut and cut clean",[42] to
which Marcos expressed his disappointment after a short pause. In the afternoon, Marcos talked to
Minister Enrile, asking for safe passage for him, his family, and close allies such as General Ver.
At midnight PHT, the Marcos family boarded a United States Air Force HH-3E
Rescue helicopters[43] and flew to Clark Air Base in Angeles City 83 kilometres north of Manila.
At Clark Air Base, Marcos asked to spend a couple of days with his family in Ilocos Norte, his native
province. Aquino vetoed the request. President Reagan privately derided Cory Aquino for denying
Marcos a last look at his home province.[44]
The deposed First Family and their servants then rode US Air Force DC-9 Medivac and C-
141B planes to Andersen Air Force Base in the north of the United States territory of Guam, then
flying to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii where Marcos finally arrived on February 26. The United
States Government documented that they entered the United States with millions of dollars in
jewelries, gold, stocks, and cash. [5][31]
When news of the Marcos family's departure reached civilians, many rejoiced and danced in the
streets. Over at Mendiola, the demonstrators stormed the Palace, which was closed to ordinary
people for around a decade. Despite looting by some angry protesters, the majority wandered about
inside through rooms where national history was shaped, looking at objects extravagant and
mundane that the Marcos clan and its court had abandoned in their flight.[citation needed]
In other countries, people also rejoiced and congratulated Filipinos they knew. CBS anchorman Bob
Simon reported: "We Americans like to think we taught the Filipinos democracy. Well, tonight they
are teaching the world." [31]
Some authors say that Marcos prevented civil war similar to the Syrian Civil War by refusing to use
guns notwithstanding the insistence of his top general, and by agreeing to step down during the
EDSA revolution.[45][46] The White House said "By leaving the Philippines at a critical juncture in his
nation's history, Mr. Marcos permitted the peaceful transition to popular, democratic rule."[47]

Aftermath[edit]
Main article: Presidency of Corazon Aquino

Immediately after her accession, Aquino issued Proclamation № 3, a provisional constitution which
established a revolutionary government. The edict promulgated the 1986 Freedom Constitution,
which retained or superseded various provisions of the 1973 Constitution that was in force up to that
point. This allowed Aquino to wield both executive and legislative powers; among her first acts was
to unilaterally abolish the Batasang Pambansa (the unicameral legislature duly elected in 1984),
pending a plebiscite for a more permanent Constitution and the establishment of a new Congress by
1987.[48]
The revolution had an effect on democratization movements in such countries as Taiwan and South
Korea; other effects include the restoration of the freedom of the press, abolition of repressive laws
enforced by the previous regime, the adoption of the 1987 Constitution, and the subordination of the
military to civilian rule, despite several coup attempts during Aquino's rule.[49]
The revolution provided for the restoration of democratic institutions after thirteen years of totalitarian
rule and these institutions have been used by various groups to challenge the entrenched political
families and to strengthen Philippine democracy.[50]

Legacy[edit]
The People Power Revolution has inspired a call for change of government through peaceful
protests rather than bloodshed. Many similar revolutions have followed since then, taking the
Philippine example of nonviolent regime change, such as that in East Germany and many other
former Soviet Bloc countries.[51]
The EDSA Revolution Anniversary is a special public holiday in the Philippines. Since 2010, the
holiday has been a special non-working holiday.[52][53]

10-peso coin commemorating the People Power Revolution

Rampant corruption during the term of President Joseph Estrada led to the similar 2001 EDSA
Revolution leading to his resignation from the presidency.
In 2003, the Radio Broadcast of the Philippine People Power Revolution was inscribed in
the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, the official documentary heritage list of the United
Nations' educational and scientific body.[54]