Philippine People Power Revolution

Four Days that Shook the World

The crisis unfolded in the aftermath of the February 7, 1986, “snap” presidential elections, which Marcos called under pressure and which Aquino was widely acknowledged to have won. Amid widespread fraud and violence, both Marcos and Aquino claimed victory. As the crisis deepened, two longtime Marcos cronies opportunistically defected to the Aquino camp, providing the flashpoint for rebellion. On February 22, 1986, Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Constabulary Chief Fidel Ramos—key architects of the dictatorship—occupied the military barracks of Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo and called on [Page 1117]Filipinos to defy the dictator. Because of their past, Filipinos at first wavered on supporting Enrile and Ramos. The influential Catholic prelate Cardinal Jaime Sin turned the tide by calling on Filipinos, who are predominantly Catholic, to protect them. People Power was born. An estimated 2 million Filipinos massed on EDSA to halt the advance of tanks and troops that Marcos sent to destroy the rebel forces. Coming from all walks of life—from working-class women and men to seasoned activists, politicians, middle- and upper-class businessmen, clergy, students, and intellectuals—their extraordinary courage broke the morale of Marcos's troops. On February 25, 1986, Aquino was sworn into the presidency.

Thousands of Filipinos form a protective shield around the government television station following a takeover by rebels in this February 24, 1986, photo, one day before the “People Power” ousted President Ferdinand Marcos. Twenty years after authoritarian Marcos's ouster, the Philippines is an unruly democracy with a vigorous press but that is still afflicted by poverty, corruption, and violence.

Source: AP Photo/Leo Esclanda, FILE.

The “U.S.–Marcos Dictatorship”

The rapidity with which the regime crumbled was testament both to its internal corrosion and the pervasive anger stemming from more than two decades of Marcos's brutal and corrupt rule. Marcos was elected president in 1965 and reelected in 1970. In 1972, facing a term limit and militant protests, he fabricated terrorist attacks in the capital, which he then used as a pretext to impose martial law. In the succeeding 14 years (Marcos retained dictatorial powers beyond the official lifting of martial law in 1981), Marcos criminalized political opposition (killing, disappearing, torturing, and jailing opponents); consolidated power in a militarized police state; and enriched himself and his cronies. By the time of his ouster, more than 10,000 had fallen victim to various human-rights atrocities; the military had grown from 60,000 to 250,000 armed personnel; and Marcos and his family were estimated to be worth $10 billion, winning them recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records as the planet's leading thieves.

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