Happy People Power Day. On this day 22 years ago, the People Power Revolution, following a series of non-violent mass demonstrations in the streets of Manila, succeeded in toppling the corrupt government of Ferdinand Marcos. On 25 February 1986, Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos fled to the US, effectively handing over the presidency of the Philippines to Corazon Aquino.
In 1983, the Philippine opposition leader Benigno Aquino was assassinated, apparently on the orders of President Marcos. When Marcos called elections for 7 February 1986, Aquino’s widow Corazon Aquino ran for president as the opposition candidate. The Commission on Elections declared Marcos the winner, but independent observers declared Aquino the winner. On 22 February the minister of defence and vice chief of staff of the armed forces delcared their support for Aquino as the rightful president, and over the next few days the popular uprising in support of Aquino increased.
On the morning of 25 February, Corazon Aquino was sworn in as the President of the Philippines at Club Filipino, and later the same day Marcos had a swearing-in ceremony at his palace. However, the People Power revolution was now approaching the palace, and at 9pm the Marcos family was whisked away by American helicopters, into exile in Hawaii.
One reply on “People Power Day”
John, I was living there when the assassination took place in 83 and I still remember it all happening so clearly and the reaction of the people. A life impacting experience.