Chapter 8

THE REVOLUTIONARY
GOVERNMENT AND THE FIFTH
REPUBLIC OF THE
PHILIPPINES
“It is easier to run a revolution than a
government”
- Ferdinand E. Marcos
 1986 EDSA PEOPLE POWER
(FEB. 22-25, 1986)
o The assassination of the then leader, Benigno “Ninoy”
Aquino, Jr., was the pre-cursor of the downfall of Marcos. It
was billed as the crime of the 20th century
o 3 years after, EDSA People Power happened
o EDSA Revolution was a product of the power struggle of
the Marcos Boys led by Imelda Marcos and Gen. Fabian
Ver versus the group of Ponce Enrile, Fidel Ramos and
RAM group of Gregorio Honasan
o Feb. 22, 1986- the RAM of Gregorio Honasan decided to
launch a coup d’etat and later was supported by Juan
Ponce Enrile(Minister of Defense) and Gen. Fidel Ramos(PC-
INP Chief)
o These institutions(the civilian and the church) marched to
Camp Aguinaldo and Crame to lend their support to the
plotters
o The civilians(children, youth, adult men and women),
nuns, priests barricaded the camps and offered prayers for
the group of Enrile, Ramos and the RAM Boys.
o Feb. 25, 1986- Marcos fled. He wanted supposedly to go to
Paoay, Ilocos Norte(his hometown), but Americans who
picked him up brought him to Hawaii instead, for Marcos
to avoid the wrath of people, secure the safety of the
Marcos loyalists and to have a new and stable government
for the Filipinos
 AQUINO REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT
(MARCH 24, 1986 – FEB. 2, 1987)
o Feb. 7, 1986- Snap election has called by President Marcos
to get a fresh mandate from the people
o Marcos’ government was beset by explainable graft and
corruption, extreme peace and order, worsening
extrajudicial killings of political opponents, and strong
insurgency and secessionism campaign by the NPA and
Muslims
o People viewed him that all elections under his government
were nothing but a propaganda ploy and Aquino and Laurel
went on air claiming victory as well
o Feb. 25, 1986- Corazon Aquino Salvador Laurel took their
oath of office at the Club Filipino, San Juan as the rightful
winner
o EDSA People Power I- Filipinos’ version of peaceful
revolution
o Aquino’s government was defined as revolutionary
o She reorganized her de facto government
o March 25, 1986- President adopted her Constitution
through the issuance of Proclamation No. 3 (Provisional
Constitution of the Philippines) and was penned by the
then Minister of Justice Neptali Gonzales II
o It consists of 7 articles and adopted some of the provisions
of the 1973 Constitution
o Proclamation No. 3 assured the people that during the
period of transition to a new government it will respect
basic human rights and fundamental freedoms
 1986 CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSION

o April 23, 1986- President Corazon Aquino issued

Proclamation No. 9 calling for a Constitutional Commission of
1986 to draft a Constitution for the Republic of the
Philippines
o Members were described by Proclamation No. 3 in Article VI,
Section 1:
 “Within sixty (60) days from the date of this
Proclamation, a Commission shall be appointed by the
President to draft a New Constitution. The Commission shall
be composed of not less than thirty (30) nor more than
fifty (50) natural-born citizens of the Philippines, of recognized
probity, known for their independence, nationalism and
patriotism. They shall be chosen by the President after
consultation with various sectors of society.”
o Handpicking of the member of the Commission met a barrage
of criticisms
o June 2, 1986- Amidst this criticism and protests, President
Aquino still went ahead and appointed the members and
elected its officers, adopted its rules and regulations and held
public hearings
o 1986 Constitutional Commission officers:
o 1. Cecilia Muñoz-Palma -President
o 2. Ambrosio B. Padilla -Vice President
o 3. Napoleon C. Rama -Floor Leader
o 4. Jose D. Calderon -Asst. Floor Leader
o 5. Ahmad Domacao Alonto -Asst. Floor Leader
Proclamation No. 3 provided for a maximum of 50 members
but the actual Commissioners was 48. 2 slots were reserved
for the opposition and he Iglesia Ni Cristo.
o Opposition withdrew its appointee and Iglesia Ni Cristo had no
time to consult its constituents and did not accept the offer
o Oct. 12, 1986- the opus of the Commission was adopted
o Oct. 15, 1986- the opus of the Commission was signed
o Oct. 14, 1986- Commissioner Decoroso R. Rosales affixed his
thumbmark at his sickedbed
o Lino Brocka resigned from the Commission
o Two leaders, Jose Suarez and Jaime Tadeo dissented but they
also affixed their signatures
o Feb. 2, 1987- President Aquino submitted the proposed
Constitution to the voting population
o The New Constitution is also referred to as the 1987
Constitution composed of 18 articles (if written in regular book
size frame would consist of 80 pages)
o In the words of a brilliant jurist, “it is a talkative constitution”
o The 1987 Constitution supplanted the 1986 Constitution
(Freedom Constitution) promulgated under Proclamation No. 3
o President Corazon Aquino- 1st president of the fifth Republic
and first ever woman president of the Philippines
 CORAZON COJUANGCO AQUINO’S
CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT
(FEB. 2, 1987 – JUNE 30, 1992)
o political governance under Aquino presidency could be likened
to Osmeña presidency, i.e., the liberation of the Philippines
from the claws of tyranny
o Osmeña government was a Philippines liberated from the cruel
Japanese Imperial Army whereas the Aquino government was
a Philippines uplifted from shrewd dictator
o President Aquino had to address the following problem:
1. A Republic of the Philippines from the ravage of martial rule
2. A wounded democracy and individual liberties
3. A gargantuan graft and corruption
4. A worsening insurgency in the countryside and secessionism
in Mindanao
5. An expensive bloated bureaucracy
6. An extremely devastating calamities, the 1990 Mt. Pinatubo
eruption and the 1991 killer earthquake
7. A weak financial support for a bankrupt treasury
8. A divided political force of the left, right and center

o 6 years as a political leader of the 5th Republic, these are her

achievements:
1. Overthrowing of the authoritarian regime of Marcos
2. Rebuilding of the fragile democracy under a new constitution
3. Defeating the seven coup attempts against her presidency
4. Ensuring a democratic transfer of power in 1992
 FIDEL VALDEZ RAMOS
(JUNE 30, 1992 – JUNE 30, 1998)
o the 12th President was also a general who became famous due
to his vital role in the success of the peaceful revolution in
1986 (EDSA People Power)
o 1992- during his inauguration, he declared that he is the first
president of the Philippines who happened to be a Protestant
o He vowed to transform Philippines as one of the new tiger
economies of Asia
o It was during his presidency that Congress enacted vital
economic legislations to propel the Philippines to a status of
new industrialized country
o Famous of his programs are anchored on the following laws:
o He tried to tinker the 1987 Constitution for him to remove
prohibition on presidential re-election
o after he was threatened, he desisted from his unconstitutional
adventurism
o The 1st attack on the 1987 Constitution was hatched, the two
other presidents of the 5th Republic followed suit. The most
gruesome is yet to come.
 JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA
(JUNE 30, 1998 – JANUARY 20, 2001)
 the 13th president was a product of the showbiz industry
 He was a victim of the curse number 13, impeached by the
House of Representatives on November 13, 2000.
 He questioned the constitutionality of the Arroyo government
so the Supreme Court ruled against him by a cote of 13-0
 A classic instance of treskadecaphobia – or fear of number 13
 His presidential platform was conceived in his Medium Term
Development Program known as “Angat Pinoy 2004”.
 Problems attendant in his government:
1. Jueteng Scandal
2. Jose Velarde Account in PCI-Equitable Bank
3. Womanizing, drinking and gambling sessions with his
midnight cabinet
4. Economic plunder
o January 20, 2001- 2nd people power had launch by the
critics of Mr. Estrada and now titled in our history as Edsa
Dos.
o Sandiganbayan tried Joseph Estrada for plunder and was
convicted in September 2007 and he was granted absolute
pardon by Mrs. Gloria Mavapagal-Arroyo in October 2007
 GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
(JANUARY 20, 2001 – JUNE 30, 2010)
o The second woman President is also product of EDSA People
Power (Edsa Dos)
o Her government would be more remembered by its misdeeds
rather than by its minimal achievements
o For almost 10 years in office, her government was beset by
political problems:
2. Bribery (of local officials and members of the House of
Representatives)
o Perennial political bashing between the opposition and the
administration on the issue of charter change, the government
has wasted precious time, money and effort
o Juan de la Cruz was badly wounded due to greed and avarice
perpetrated by the powers-that-be
o Arroyo who plans to run as Representative of the 2nd District of
Pampanga is blatant show insensitivity to the issue of good
governance and people are already tired of her patronage style
of management
o Impeachment process has been trivialized and side-lined many
times because of political expediency
o Shout of the citizens for a meaningful political reform always
tell on deaf ears for their representatives have lived up to the
political proverb now practiced by them “what are we in power
for”
o “what are we in power for” connotes that they are the masters
instead of being servant to the people
o The 2010 elections should spring new rays of hope for a
wounded nation, should bring back governance, which eluded
Juan de la Cruz for nearly 10 years, should establish a new
citadel of democracy that respects human dignity, and should
cement the sentinel of freedom for all regardless of socio-
economic status of the citizens.