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EDSA People Power Revolution Reflection

Ferdinand Marcos ruled the Philippines for over 20 years under a totalitarian government, repressing freedoms and committing human rights abuses. The assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino in 1983 increased public anger towards Marcos. In 1986, Marcos claimed victory in a rigged election against Corazon Aquino, sparking massive protests known as the People Power Revolution. Defections from Marcos' military leadership and support from religious figures helped protesters peacefully oust Marcos from power, establishing Aquino as the first female president of the Philippines.

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Charmie Lhyn Lape
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6K views3 pages

EDSA People Power Revolution Reflection

Ferdinand Marcos ruled the Philippines for over 20 years under a totalitarian government, repressing freedoms and committing human rights abuses. The assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino in 1983 increased public anger towards Marcos. In 1986, Marcos claimed victory in a rigged election against Corazon Aquino, sparking massive protests known as the People Power Revolution. Defections from Marcos' military leadership and support from religious figures helped protesters peacefully oust Marcos from power, establishing Aquino as the first female president of the Philippines.

Uploaded by

Charmie Lhyn Lape
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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T

hroughout twenty years, Filipinos were subjected to totalitarian

government, while Marcos and his supporters profited themselves

through control of Philippine media and industrial platforms, as well as

the siphoning of resources from US, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund

loans. The People Power movement had been growing for a long time prior to

Marcos' proclamation of martial law. Determined activists in the Philippines, exile,

and the diaspora worked relentlessly to spread knowledge of the Marcoses' human

rights atrocities and ill-gotten wealth around the world. The revolution was the

outcome of lengthy suppressed freedom and life-threatening abuses carried out by the

Marcos regime, to name a few incidents such as human rights abuses since the

oppressive Martial Law Proclamation in 1972. For the following years, Martial Law

began the oppressive and brutal years–assassinations were prevalent, notably against

those who defied the government, and businesses and individuals alike were

repressed. When former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. was shot dead at the

airport after his arrival here in the Philippines after his exile in the United States on

August 21, 1983, Filipinos reached the pinnacle of their patience. And many people

throughout the world saw this as a particularly audacious act of political retaliation.

Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, his bereaved wife, demonstrated to Filipinos and the rest

of the world the resolve and fortitude required to reclaim the freedom that Ferdinand

Marcos had oppressed for his own personal gain. Given the country's deteriorating

economy, Ninoy's death heightened the Filipinos' suppressed wrath. Fearing that

participation would simply serve to legitimize the government, much of the Philippine

Left decided to boycott the election. Where he faced a strong and fierce opposition,

Corazon Aquino. This has been the most rigged and deceptive election ever held in

the Philippines. The tally of votes was declared with a mismatch between the official
count by the COMELEC (Commission on Elections) and the count of NAMFREL

(National Movement for Free Elections), indicating electoral fraud. The apparent

malfeasance in that election was the last straw for Filipinos to tolerate the Marcos

administration. Marcos declared victory in the election, just as many predicted. This

time, though, Filipinos refused to acknowledge the falsehood. On February 22,

residents of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) marched in the streets. However,

the revolution erupted when Marcos' Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and the

Armed Forces Vice-Chief of Staff command of Fidel V. Ramos both renounced their

government support and demanded Marcos' abdication. They firmly fortified Camp

Crame and Camp Aguinaldo and prepared their troops to fight any armed attack

coordinated by Marcos and his men. The Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Jaime Sin,

along with the priests and nun, has also urged Filipinos to join the nonviolent protests.

Cardinal Sin's message, which called on thousands of Filipinos to march down EDSA,

was broadcasted on Radyo Veritas. Nuns knelt down in front of tanks, holding

rosaries and reciting their prayers. It was an inspiring representation that aspired to

succeed in peace with the help of faith. The armed marine personnel under Marcos'

command withdrew from the spot through the power of prayer. While, public figures

voiced their support by making a show to highlight the atrocities and aberrations

perpetrated by the Marcos government. Lastly, Corazon Aquino took the presidential

oath at Club Filipino in San Juan, conducted by Supreme Court Associate Justice

Claudio Teehankee on February 25, 1986. Sworn in as the 11th President of the

Philippines and was declared as the country's first lady president. In the present, this

date is commemorated a momentous national event that will live on in the hearts and

minds of all Filipinos. The period in Philippine history that fills us with pride,

especially when other countries have endeavored to mimic what we have


demonstrated to the world about the genuine power of democracy. The genuine

empowerment of democracy was demonstrated by EDSA's successful efforts to

depose a tyrant through a demonstration devoid of violence and carnage. Where

Filipinos only equipped themselves with prayers and rosaries backed by faith to

reclaim their independence from President Ferdinand Marcos' iron clutches.

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