Jose Mario Bautista Maximiano
Thirty-six years ago, the People Power Revolution in the Philippines toppled a dictator. The predominantly Catholic nation believes that what happened in 1986 was a miracle wrought through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The end of the dictatorship began when then president, Ferdinand E. Marcos, pressured by the international community to legitimise his regime, called a snap election on 7 February 1986.
Several days later, the National Assembly proclaimed victory for Marcos, but the Catholic Church called it “evil” due to massive cheating and poll fraud. Electoral watchdog, the National Movement for Free Elections [NAMFREL], showed Corazon Aquino in the lead with almost 70 per cent of the canvassed votes.
On 13 February 1986, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines publicly declared the dishonesty and therefore inadmissibility of the election results.
When “a government does not of itself freely correct the evil it has inflicted on the people,” the Filipino bishops maintained, “then it is our serious moral obligation as a people to make it do so.”
When the Marcoses used their well-oiled [political] machinery to win the people’s trust, they failed. When they attacked the “total ignorance and inexperience in state affairs” of Cory Aquino, they failed. The Filipino people did recognise the truth that Marcos manipulated the results and that this simple housewife won the presidency. Soon the international community would recognise the victory of the first woman president of the Philippines.
“This is Cardinal Sin speaking … I am calling our people to support our two good friends at the camp. If any of you could be around at Camp Aguinaldo to show your solidarity and your support in this very crucial period when our two good friends have shown their idealism, I would be very happy … Please come.”
On 22 February 1986, the then defense minister, Juan Ponce Enrile, and future president, General Fidel V. Ramos, called a press conference, where they announced their resignations from Marcos’ cabinet and the withdrawal of their support for the dictator.
In those fateful days in February 1986, going in and out of Malacañang Palace by the Pasig River, was General Fabian Ver, who was fuming.
He promised to pulverise those who had revolted against his master. The military’s 250,000 personnel—the combined forces of the army, navy and air force—were ready to follow General Ver, their chief of staff.
Enrile and Ramos were holed up in two camps [Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo] across from each other along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue [EDSA], a major thoroughfare in Manila, supported by just 300 soldiers. In the middle of the night, Enrile crossed over to join forces with Ramos. Anticipating. Getting ready for the worst.
That same evening, people were glued to the radio more than usual when suddenly they heard the voice of 57-year-old Jaime Cardinal Sin of Manila on Radio Veritas.
“This is Cardinal Sin speaking … I am calling our people to support our two good friends at the camp. If any of you could be around at Camp Aguinaldo to show your solidarity and your support in this very crucial period when our two good friends have shown their idealism, I would be very happy … Please come.”
As they say, the rest is history.
25 February 1986.
Photo: Public domain
The Philippine experience was unique and the 1986 EDSA Revolution was completely different. Imagine the tens of thousands who were gathered to topple a strongman, armed only with roses and rosaries. Those who were quite uncomfortable using the word “miracle” to easily to describe such a singular event called it divine providence.
History says a people power revolution, similar to what occurred at EDSA in 1986, was nearly impossible, yet it happened. Visit where it took place and see the EDSA Shrine built by the highway in honour of Our Lady Queen of Peace.
When ‘a government does not of itself freely correct the evil it has inflicted on the people,’ the Filipino bishops maintained, “then it is our serious moral obligation as a people to make it do so’
Thick volumes of political and historical journals and books were written comparing the EDSA miracle to the battles of La Naval de Manila in 1646.
These battles are believed to have been won through Mary’s intercession. Catholic forces repulsed Protestant Dutch forces in their attempts to invade the Philippines. Of course, the battles of La Naval de Manila were waged at sea, while EDSA was won on the highway. The battles of La Naval de Manila repulsed non-Catholic aggression, while EDSA toppled a brutal Catholic dictator and his minions.
At La Naval de Manila, an inferior navy fired shots against more superior forces and the Catholics won. At EDSA, the advancing superior forces were ordered to fire but did not and the Filipino people won. The common denominator of both events is glaring: both were miraculous victories brought through the powerful intercession of Mary, Mother of God.
In its first regular session in 1987, the Philippine Congress confirmed that EDSA was truly a miracle.
The official Senate Journal said: “At EDSA, where we camped out for four days in vigil to the Lord, not a drop of innocent blood was spilled. And this was the real triumph of EDSA, the miracle that we saw … a triumph of goodness and peace and love over everything that stood in the way.”
The last man standing in the 1986 presidential election was a woman, when Corazon Aquino defeated Marcos in a snap election. Is it probable that the last man standing in the forthcoming 2022 presidential election will also be a woman?
Jose Mario Bautista Maximiano is a Catholic theologian, educator and the author of a
three-volume work on the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines, published by the Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCAN.
