EDSA REVOLUTION

What is EDSA 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 Metro 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 Ferdinand Marcos, the end of
his 21-year presidential rule, and the restoration of democracy in the
Philippines.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.

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

What caused the revolution? .

The revolution was a result of the long oppressed freedom and the life
threatening abuses executed by the Marcos government to cite several events
like human rights violation since the tyrannical Martial Law Proclamation in
1972. In the years that followed Martial Law started the suppressive and
abusive years–incidents of assassination were rampant, particularly those who
opposed the government, individuals and companies alike were subdued.

The Filipinos reached the height of their patience when former

Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Sr. was shot and killed at the airport in August
21, 1983, upon his return to the Philippines from exile in the United States.

In the efforts to win back his popularity among the people, Marcos held a snap
presidential election in February 7, 1986, where he was confronted with a
strong and potent opposition, Corazon Aquino. It was the most corrupt and
deceitful election held in the Philippine history. There was an evident trace of
electoral fraud as the tally of votes were declared with discrepancy between
the official count by the COMELEC (Commission on Elections) and the count of
NAMFREL (National Movement for Free Elections). Such blatant corruption in
that election was the final straw of tolerance by the Filipinos of the Marcos
regime.
The demonstration started to break in the cry for democracy and the demand
to oust Marcos from his seat at Malacañang Palace. The revolt commenced
when Marcos' Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and the Armed Forces Vice-
Chief of Staff command of Fidel V. Ramos, both withdrew their support from the
government and called upon the resignation of then President Marcos. They
responsibly barricaded Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo and had their troops
ready to combat against possible armed attack organized by Marcos and his
troops. The Catholic Church represented by Archbishop Jaime Cardinal
Sin along with the priests and nuns called for the support of all Filipinos who
believed in democracy. Radyo Veritas aired the message of Cardinal Sin that
summoned thousands of Filipinos to march the street of EDSA. It was an
empowering demonstration that aimed to succeed peacefully with the
intervention of faith. Nuns kneeled in front of tanks with rosaries in their hands
and uttering their prayers.

With the power of prayers, the armed marine troops under the command of
Marcos withdrew from the site. Celebrities expressed their support putting up
a presentation to showcase the injustices and the anomalies carried out by the
Marcos administration. Finally, in the morning of February 25, 1986, Corazon
Aquino took the presidential oath of office, administered by the Supreme
Court Associate Justice Claudio Teehankee at Club Filipino located in San Juan.
Aquino was proclaimed as the 11th President of the Republic of the Philippines.
She was the first lady president of the country. People rejoiced over their
victory proving the success of the EDSA People’s Power Revolution, the historic
peaceful demonstration.

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.
Sin's appeal
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]

Marcos orders not to shoot

Prior dialogues to stop the revolution had 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 Marcos
ordered them to halt.
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
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]

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 RPN-9.[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!
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]
Monday, 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]