THE PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION AT EDSA

1. REMINISCING EDSA REVOLUTION “A HISTORICAL ACCOUNT”

Saturday, February 22, 1986

15:00 Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, alarmed by reports of impending arrests of
numerous Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) officers and opposition leaders,
gather nearly 400 men in defensive position at ministry headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.

Vice Chief of Staff Lt. General Fidel V. Ramos agrees to join the rebellion. He calls on
the Armed Forces to join them in their rebellion.

18:45 Enrile and Ramos calls a press conference to announce their break from the Marcos
camp. Also revealed during the press conference are the incidents of massive cheating
during the past elections. Ramos and Enrile declare that Corazon Aquino is the rightful
president of the republic.

Enrile contacts the United States Ambassador Stephen Bosworth and Jaime Cardinal Sin.
Enrile asks Sin for support.

20:00 Cory Aquino is contacted by Enrile in the central Philippine city of Cebu during a
rally and is informed of the developments taking place in Manila.

Uncertain of Enrile’s motives and possible reactions, Aquino goes into hiding in a
missionary convent. There had been reports that attempts would be made on her life.

Aquino refuses an American offer of safe transport. She had been offered passage to any
destination she would have wanted to go.

General Fabian Ver. Ver promises to delay any sort of retaliation up until Sunday
morning.

21:00 The Archbishop of Manila Jaime Cardinal Sin airs an appeal over Radio Veritas
asking the people to support "our two good friends."
23:00 President Marcos tells the rebels to surrender in a televised press conference. He
claims to have uncovered an assassination plot against him by the reform movement. He
produces an army captain allegedly involved in the plot. He urges the rebels to "stop this
stupidity."

Enrile, on Radio Veritas, responds to Marcos’ claims defiantly saying, "Your time is up!"

Sunday, February 23, 1986

00:00 Thousands of people, responding to the Cardinal’s appeal, begin gathering outside
rebel camps and bringing supplies and food for the soldiers. They form a human
barricade outside the camp gates, hoping to block any attack.

Enrile issues a statement to reporters that it was Aquino who had won the elections.

01:00 Armed soldiers destroy Radio Veritas’ transmission tower, thereby cutting off all
news of the rebellion in Manila and Quezon City from the provinces.

Enrile and Ramos call on Marcos to resign in favor of Aquino. They meet with
businessmen, defecting officers and opposition politicians pledging their support.

Arms and ammunition are ferried into Camp Aquinaldo and Camp Crame, Ramos’
headquarters, in preparation for an expected assault on the part of the loyalist forces.

02:00 Ramos calls the revolution "a revolution of the people," as he faces his supporters
for the first time outside the gates of Camp Crame alongside Epifanio de los Santos
Avenue.

10:00 Enrile airs an appeal for more civilian presence outside the rebel camps over Radio
Veritas. Ramos says that the "moral power of an enraged population" will be enough to
halt the loyalist forces nonviolently. He claims that the rebels have the support of up to
90% of provincial military commanders.
12:30 Marcos appears on television with loyalist generals. He hints at a possible artillery
strike while announcing plans for his upcoming Tuesday inauguration. He introduces
three more officers allegedly involved in the coup. The leader of the plot is said to be
Enrile’s chief of security, Col. Gergorio "Gringo" Honasan.

13:30 Having heard of reports of loyalist troop movements, Enrile transfers his forces to
Camp Crame. Tens of thousands chant "Johnny! Johnny!" as Enrile, clutching a machine
gun, crosses the street to the neighboring camp with his men.

A large Marine contingent composed of tanks and an armored personnel carrier proceeds
towards the Camps via Ortigas Avenue. They are stopped nearly a mile from the gates by
a wall of tens of thousands of people. General Artemio Tadiar threatens to open fire if the
crowd does not disperse. The people do not budge. They respond by singing, "Bayan
Ko," praying and offering soldiers cigarettes and bread.

The Marines try to push forward with their tanks and guns. The people hold their ground,
singing louder and praying harder. The Marines withdraw without firing a single shot.

15:00 Cory Aquino returns to Manila and goes into hiding. Before leaving, she praises
the rebel leaders and calls on Marcos to step down.

An armored column of loyalist Marines are stopped by a wall of people manning

makeshift barricades one kilometer from the rebel headquarters as radio appeals for
"people power" to continue. After dusk, the column withdraws.

Throughout the afternoon, opposition leaders hold talks with Enrile regarding the
formation of a provincial government with Aquino as president.

18:30 Radio Veritas goes off the air. Other sympathetic stations continue broadcasting
new of the rebellion. Civilians manning DXRJ broadcast reports of government and other
vital information to the people in the barricades. DZRJ is now DZBB, Radio Bandido.

19:00 On air as a press conference, Ramos pledges to put the "New Armed Forces" at the
service of "newly-constituted authorities" ,a clear reference to the possible Aquino-led
provisional government.

After this, many other government and military leaders defected, leading to two
inaugurations on February 25.
Marcos held his inauguration in Malacañang Palace and Cory Aquino held hers at Club
Filipino. The Filipino people recognized Cory Aquino as the new president of the
Philippines, ending two decades under authoritarian rule. Marcos fled the Philippines and
went into exile in Hawaii. After his departure, the palace was raided and their extravagant
lifestyle was exposed to the public.

2. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EDSA REVOLUTION

To The Filipino People:
THERE IS STRENGTH IN UNITY.

The multitudes who gathered in EDSA 25 years ago were composed of ordinary citizens
united by the desire to stop the oppression suffered at the hands of President Marcos. People
from all walks of life prayed together, sought comfort and strength from each other, and
bravely faced the militia Marcos dispatched to disperse the crowds. What we achieved that
day was no small feat. We were able to unite as a nation and use our collective strength to
topple a seemingly impregnable dictatorship.

MUCH CAN BE ACHIEVED BY FAITH.

Apart from having faith in God--as shown by the people during the prayer rallies and the
processions that punctuated the three-day revolution--we must also remember to have faith in
ourselves. In the midst of the countless political issues that divide us at present, we must
believe that we can still rise up as one nation, despite the cynicism or sense of hopelessness
that seems to have become ingrained in our social consciousness. And while the Catholic
Church played a significant part in the People Power Revolution, we must remember that the
Church and the State are separate. Preferring the teachings of the Church and overlooking
the ideals of the state do not make for a healthy government.

To The Youth:
THERE IS POWER IN DEMOCRACY.

The People Power Revolution, as this came to be known, was also proof that sovereignty
indeed resides in the Filipino people. It underscores the existence of a social contract
between the people and the government that represents them and recognizes that it is the
people’s will that remains supreme. But democracy comes with responsibility, and since the
power of democracy rests in the hands of the people, it’s important that people understand
 exactly what they’re responsible for. Maria Ressa has this to say about the People Power
Revolution, "People power should have never become a political tool; it was a once-in-a-
lifetime act that should have been followed by the hard work of building democratic
institutions. That never happened. That is the work that, twenty years later, desperately needs
to be done."

TO FIGHT FOR YOUR PRINCIPLES.

The thousands of brave citizens who participated in the People Power Revolution recognized
the need for social and political change. The events in EDSA taught us the importance of
fighting for what you believe in, especially when it involves what is right and what benefits
the majority. Integrity isn’t just about knowing what’s right; it’s also about doing what’s
right. We should remember that this applies to the little things, the everyday things, as well
as the big ones.
3. THE ROLE OF THE YOUTH ON THE RESTORATION AND SUSTENANCE OF
DEMOCRACY

Democracy requires respect for human rights and fundamental freedom. It requires as
well a deeper understanding and respect for needs of more vulnerable groups of society,
especially women and children. The social stability needed for productive growth is
nurtured by conditions in which people can readily express their will. For this,
participation of strong domestic institutions is essential.

The youth is soon turning out to be a responsible part of the population, which wishes to
see a change in the governance. The youth is not scared of voicing its opinion and it is
not scared of bearing the consequences which come later. The youth is also aware that it
has responsibilities when it comes to the nation and that nobody else but they could save
the country which might soon be in a crisis. Understanding the current situation, there is a
major role of the youth in the democracy, given the freedom to work the way they want
to, the youth can change or rather transform the way our country functions, here are some
ways:

Decision making – The youngsters even though regarded as impulsive and frivolous,
have the knack of making a wise decision in the time of need. The youngsters have this
ability to detach themselves from the scenario and make a decision based on the third
person perspective. They are courageous, so they don’t care about what will follow until
they are sure of their decision. They are passionate, so they think about the bigger picture
and they decide based on what good it will bring to the whole nation, and not just
themselves. They are also unconventional thinkers, so their strategies can pose a serious
challenge to the thoughts of anybody who doesn’t think rationally and reasonably.

Running in the campaign – Another role that the youth can take over is by running in
the campaign and becoming the change that they wish to see in the country. The youth
with its refreshing ideas and courage is capable of a lot more than what our current
leaders are providing. Giving a chance to the youth to lead the country would be a
welcome change and this change could be sustained under the following and leadership
of like minded people. There are lesser chances of conflict of interest of the population
and the leadership and that would push the country on to the road to prosperity.

Voting – Another possible change that can be brought in the democracy by the youth is
when they realize the power that they have in their hands. In every general election a
massive part of the votes come from the youth and some of them are the first time voters.
The decision making ability of the youth combined is capable of showing a new era to the
democracy as and when the youth wants.
Social media – Various things like the social media and other ways of conveying one’s
thoughts are emerging to be a very important part of the democracy. Through social
media various leaders try to put forth an image of themselves, which might help the
voters in deciding if they are capable leaders or not. Similarly, the youth doesn’t shy from
putting in front their ideas about the various nominees and political parties which forms
the popular opinion about the people contesting in the elections.

Thus, if the youth starts exercising its full power, then it can easily take over the
democracy and change it over till it becomes completely unrecognizable. The youth
today, is already miffed with the governance given the bans and the inadequacy of their
actions and when the time is right, it will come out and leave no stone unturned to start a
new era of politics. This act will change the way the world perceives and will bring a
new leadership, a new stability and a refreshing change in the democracy.

REFERENCES:

http://www.femalenetwork.com/news-features/5-lessons-to-remember-from-the-edsa-
people-power-revolution

http://www.youth.net/role-of-youth-in--democracy/

http://edsarevolution.com/day1.htm

REQUIREMENT
in
PHILIPPINE
HISTORY
SUBMITTED BY:
ROXAN A. TAMAYAO
RISHA MAE C. TAGACAY
SUBMITTED TO:
MR. DANTE PASICOLAN