People Power 1986: The Role of Communication in a Crisis

 Vietnam War 1965 – 1975 – first televised war in history

 Philippine Revolution Feb 22 – 25 1986 – first televised revolution in history
 People all over the world watched in awe and admiration – fought strange revolution not with
guns and bullets but with bare hands, rosaries, religious images, hymns, placards, prayers,
songs, flowers, and faith
 Covered by 1000 foreign correspondents – had been here weeks to cover the snap elections – to
witness the incredible cheating during election day and counting of votes in the days that
followed
 Radio and television led in the coverage because of their immediacy
 3 sources of election results
o Superquick count – Media Poll Count – Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas – most
radio stations and 4 television stations 2 4 9 13
o Super slow count – official count – Comelec – covered by same stations
o Quick count – namfrel – radio veritas
o Super quick and super slow- marcos
o Namfrel – aquino – most filipinos stuck with veritas
o Radio veritas – highest credibility ratings
o Government and high officials – 0 credibility – 2 counts government sponsored
o People tuned in to radio veritas when high drama reached a crescendo on 22 Feb 1986
 Saturday, 22 Feb
o 6:45 pm – press con – Defense Minister Juan ponce Enrile and Armed Forces Vice Chief
of Staff Gen. Fidel Ramos resigned and withdrew their support for the Marcos Govern.
o It was a moment Filipinos had long been waiting and praying for
o After confirming AFP Chief of Staff Gen Fabian Ver has ordered an arrest for Enrile he
and his officers decided to make a do or die stand at camp Aguinaldo asking Ramos to
join – without hesitation. Called wife and instructed to contact Eugenia Apostol of Ph
Daily Inquirer to tell her what is happening and contact other members of the media
about it
o Enrile called people to help – cardinal sin
o Negotiations between Malacanang and Camp Aguinaldo ensued
o Newsmen kept arriving local and foreign
o Night of Saturday appeals were starting to be made over Radio Veritas – June Keithley
anchor – to come and protect the two camps Aguinaldo and Crame from Gen Ver
o People are asked to protect its soldiers – no blood shed prevent soldiers from killing
each other
o First person to appeal – Cardinal sin – third most important person in this radio drama
o Cardinal sins voice that mobilized tens of thousands of Filipinos on the street in front of
and around camp crame and Aguinaldo – cardinal of the revolution
o Cardinal help us because in 1 hour we will be killed
o Every hour I say something over the radio – people heard my voice that was enough
o Butz Aquino - heard the replay on the radio – press con – 8pm
o Tried to get in touch with cory in cebu – radio room to transmit the message for instru
 o No instructions when we started moving
o Talk to justice palma – believe? – I think so
o I am going to camp Aguinaldo and offer whatever support
o Toyota crown – mistaken as a general
o 1030 pm second press con
o After press con Butz aquino through radio veritas – call people to assemble at cubao
isettan for the march to the camps
o 1045pm from camp Aguinaldo to isettan cubao – six how do we have a revolution with
only six of us
o 11pm 2 – 3 dozen people – asked one of the ATOM guys to get sound system
o 1130 – there were several thousands already
o March at midnight – there were already 10,000 people
o As marching people were converging and by camp Aguinaldo we were atleast 20,000
o Everyones ears was glued to the radios – driving along sucat Paranaque -writer – was
eerie – the road was like a huge stereo all glued to radio veritas – people in cars seek
confirmation to what they were hearing
o Other people also heard the news through radio veritas
o Marcos had 2 press con that night 5 manila tv stations – and most of the radio stations
o First press con 2 hours after enrile press con – uncovered a coup d’etat- presented a
nervous looking military officer who was asked to read his onfession
o Second press con – presented another officer
o Radio veritas did not sleep until Sunday morning and into the night – June keithley
manning the radio station took turns at the microphone plead people to come to edsa
prevents soldiers from fighting each other ensure peace and prevent blood shed – radio
veritas finest hour – only station for the people was radio veritas – 848 – the number of
truth
 Sunday, 23 Feb
o Morning people were responding in tens of thousands – from all walks of life
o Before Sunday noon – Cory was heard for the first time since the revolt coming from
radio veritas cebu – heard by the nation pleaded for calm and non violence
o Afternoon first serious threat – dozen tanks and a marine contingent
o Corner edsa Ortigas – antitank weapons – filipino and foreign journalist were there too –
hundreds of foreign newsmen – having a field day – perhaps this was the first revolution
they had covered with such abandon and with such freedom with little risk to their lives
and limbs as it turned out
o The standoff – people won retreated to fort Bonifacio – first major victory
o Meanwhile manila auxiliary bishop ted bacani was on the air with his appeal for more
volunteers around the two military camps – important because crowds always thinned
midnight and early morning
o Military commando group led by Eduardo Cojuangco attacked the 40m microwave
facilities of radio veritas in malolos Bulacan – wearing yellow – cory movement – radio
veritas was off the air and there was panic
 o June keithley – use DZRJ 810 – 10 kilowatts over 50 kilowatts but served just as well
because other radio stations especially in the nearby provinces were already hooked up
to the number of truth
o Radio bandido – scared to death – located a kilometer from malacanang – no one came
her voice was heard throughout the country and through the night
o Enrile and ramos alternately appealing on the air for more people power
o Mambo Magsaysay – not having – old veritas studio – onward chrisian soldiers – turned
out to be more inspiring
 Monday, 24 February
o June Keithley dawn of Monday – kept people awake by the reports of the second major
attempt by the loyalist forces to take over camp Aguinaldo
o Asked the listeners to turn up their radio sets hoping that the soldiers who heard would
be moved to retreat in hearing the national anthem
o Heard by Antonio Sotelo – radio veritas gone – June keithley giving blow by blow
account of what was going on
o Teargas wind shifted hurt the soldiers – retreat – in another confrontation – soldiers
retreat – June announced it triumphantly over radio veritas
o Sotelo landed his 15th strike wing – marcos deprived of his control over the air – major
turning points in the four day snap revolution
o 7 am loud cheering – marcos had flown the coop – carried immediately over radio
veritas
o 730 channel 7 news bulletin Enrile, Ramos in control. Watch out for further
developments”
o Just as enrile and ramos press con marcos came on tv surrounded by his family
o Marcos still insisting he is in control – announced that his inauguration as president will
be held as planned the next day
o Marcos declared a state of emergency – lambasted mass media alleged irresponsibility
in announcing the he had fled
o Press con began – last press con over tv4 – general ver arrived in battle gear asked
clearance to launch an artillery and air attack on crame marcos – no – use only small
arms fire. Ver wanted to use heavy artillery ,Marcos was trying to appear cool and in
control while ve was fidgety and shaken – live on tv
o Marcos about to answer how he was in control the tv screens balcked out rebel troops
had wrested control of the government tv station
o No one among the high officials in crame was able to clarify where the false story that
marcos had fled came from a psychological warfare ploy
o The story that marcos had fled spread panic among government forces and started a
series of defections to the revel camp even before marcos could deny the story over
television
o Radio veritas was getting weaker – to go off air due to technical problems
o Mariano Santiago – three truckloads of rebel soldiers in civilian clothes – tv4 negotiated
o 950 am tv4 off the air – turning point in the snap revolution – propaganda machine was
now liberated
 o Radio veritas moved t tv4
o 130 started telecasting over tv4 – first few hours were chaos – station named voice of
free Philippines - radyo Pilipino – radyo ng bayan
o Attempts by loyalist to retake 4 but human barricades formed outside tv4
o Radio veritas going and finally gone chanell 4 and voice of the Philippines became the
communication center of the revolution
o For people in metro manila culture shock to tune in to tv4 and not find Ronnie and rita
o For the first time in 14 years people can see the reality of things outside
o 7pm other three television stations phone patched marcos from malacanang - asked if
he was imposing a curfew – 6pm – 6am effective tonight – the million people or so in
edsa that night laughed – practically laughed him out of malacanang – no one to
implement curfew – there was no jail big enough for all the curfew violators marcos was
kaput
o After tank were neutralized the major battlefield shifted to the mass media
o After 4 was taken over, loyalist sent forces to secure other stations
o Channel 7 dzbb inday badiday on air when loyalist entered the station asking her to go
off – refused saying only the station manager could tell her to stop – hour of negotiation
– stop -when loyalist controlled inside they were surrounded by human barricades
outside asking to give up – stalemate that night – 3pm loyalist gave up and left channel
7 after destroying the transmitter
 Tuesday 25 February
o Battle for tv stations continued
o 4 was firm in rebel hands – other stations were announcing that they were covering
marcos inauguration at malacanang
o Cory had her first at 10 am at club filipino and taped and aired over 4
o Marcos was having his own inauguration at malacanang aired over 2 9 13 using channel
9 transceivers
o As the three stations panned their cameras the tv set suddenly blacked out – rebels had
neutralized the channel 9 transmitter and marcos was off the air for the last time
o With the capture of channel 4 the battle for the airwaves was won by the reformists –
coup de grace to the embattled marcos regime
o 930pm news was confirmed on tv marcos had fled malacanang and was on his way to
Hawaii
 Role of the Print Media
o While the account has been referring mainly to the electronic media the print media
also did their share particularly the alternative press led by Malaya, mr and ms, veritas
news magazine, Philippine daily inquirer and manila times
o Malaya circulation jumped to 500k copies per day – strongest selling point was its
reputation as a freedom fighter since the early days of martial law
o Inquirer 350k copies people were buying more than one most likely Malaya and inquirer
o Manila Times came out 2 days before the snap elections – appealed to the middle class
o The crony press was left behind in the circulation because of their credibility
o People who are starved for information