Rodel J. Ramos
The EDSA revolution was the trigger that started a worldwide peaceful revolt that overthrow dictators and communist governments all over the world. The world witnessed the bravery of the Filipinos who toppled down a fearful dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos from power. This was followed by Haiti under another dictator, then Poland under communism and later the walls of East Berlin that divided Germany into the East and the West. The East was a communist state. Romania also toppled down its communist leader. Later, even the most powerful communist country U.S.S.R. collapsed. The world was never the same again. The Filipino people became the beacon, the light in the dark world that spark the downfall of dictators and communism.
This was the second time that the Philippines was used by the Almighty God to unchain the world via a peaceful revolution. The first was when Dr. Jose Rizal was executed in Bagong Bayan (Luneta) by the Spanish colonizers at the urging of the Catholic Church and our people revolted against Spain. We were the first country in the world to overthrow a colonizer during those times. We became the inspiration and a model of Mahatma Gandhi in his peaceful resistance against the British Empire to free India and Pakistan.
The bravery of the Filipinos
The Filipinos are known for their bravery. When powerful nations in Europe were looking for the Spice Islands and discovering nations to conquer and enslave, the landed in the Philippines. They immediately asked the Datus and Sultans to pay homage to the Spanish King. Lapu Lapu of the Island of Mactan refused. To show how powerful the weapons and skills of their soldiers in war, they challenged him in battle. It was their cannons, guns, and swords with metal body shield against the bolos, spears, bow and arrow of the Lapu Lapu warriors. In that confrontation, Ferdinand Magellan was slain in the shores of Mactan with many of his men. It took them another 50 years before they can conquer the Philippines with the return of Legaspi.
The brave Muslim warriors of Mindanao were never conquered by the Spanish conquistadors or the well armed Americans. They even invented the .45 calibre pistol to stop the Muslim rebels from advancing even when they were shot and wounded. The people of Ifugao also never bowed to the Spaniards. They only became friendly with the Americans.
During the Korean War, one dark evening while the Americans, Koreans and other United Nation forces retreated from the thousands of advancing North Koreans and the Chinese Communists, less than 1,000 Philippine solders of the 10th Battalion Combat Team (BCT) stood their ground. In the morning, they saw more than 40,000 dead Chinese and North Korean soldiers in front of them. McArthur when learning about this proudly said, “Givee me 10,000 Filipino Soldiers and I will conquer the world.”
What happened in EDSA
What the world did not know what it was the disgruntled leaders of Ferdinand Marcos who were fed up with the way Imelda Marcos and General Fabian Ver were handled the Government and the way they were treated that they planned to revolt against Marcos. It was Gringo Honasan and his RAM Boys, Juan Ponce Enrile and a few other Army Officers who planned the takeover. Marcos was very sick then and was bed ridden. Marcos discovered this plot and was ready to suppress the revolt. He ordered General Ver to attack Camp Crame and Aguinaldo where they stood their ground.
Enrile asked the help of Fidel V. Ramos and he joined them. He also called on Cardinal Sin to help them overthrow the dictator. Cardinal Sin made an announcement in Radio Veritas which was a powerful radio station owned by the Catholic Church asking the people to gather in EDSA to protect Enrile, Ramos and others in Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo. They were joined by the Agapito Aquino, brother of the opposition leader, Ninoy Aquino who was murdered on his return to the Philippines. Imelda was suspected to have ordered it. This triggered large rallies and an election where Cory Aquino run against Pres. Ferdinand Marcos for the Presidency. There were lots of cheating during this voting and even government people walked out to protest them.
The Army was ordered to attack the rebels Honasan, Enrile,Ramos and their followers and was on their way to Crame and Aguinaldo. However, because of the many people, the tanks can’t get thru. The people blocked their way. Nuns and priest were there offering flowers, food and drinks to the soldiers begging them not to attack the people. Ver asked for permission to attack Crame with cannons but Ferdinand Marcos refused.
Later, Marcos ordered General Sotelo, Chief of the Air Force to attack the rebels. However, the General upon seeing the millions of people in EDSA , asked to join Ramos and Enrile with their helicopters landing in Camp Aguinaldo and their jets protecting them from above. This was the turning point of that event. The soldiers on the ground did not fire on the people and later joined them. It was called a miracle.
While all these were happening, Cory Aquino was said to be in a retreat in Cebu or somewhere in the Visayas.
The U.S. Government was alerted of what was happening and offered a way out for the Marcos family to get out of the country to save their lives and prevent violence. Marcos was told by a U.S. Senator Solar to “cut clean” meaning no violence. They were offered to be taken to Hawaii. U.S. helicopters came to fetch them. That night, they left and the people took over the Malacanang grounds.
Enrile, Ramos and the RAM boys with a previous agreement with Cardinal Sin and demanded by the people offered to install Cory Aquino as President of the Republic of the Philippines.
Cory’s Aquino’s term
Cory Aquino took over. She freed Jose Ma. Sison who was in prison and left for overseas. She also recognized Commander Dante, offering him a position in the government in land reform to encourage the NPAs to surrender. Instead, the leftist grew more and got bolder controlling labour unions all over the country, collected revolutionary tax among the farmers and businesses in the country side, otherwise they will burn their equipment and rallied the students against the government. They terrorized the countryside and people left for the cities. They also had influence among jeepney and bus drivers union, the media and fund raised overseas to support their rebellion.
However, corruption in the government continued unabated. Enrile, Honasan, and Ramos established private corporations and owned big properties all over the Island. Enrile controlled the Port in Cagayan and smuggled cars, motorcycle and other stuff. The RAM boys tried a number of times to put down the government and even ambushed the son Pnoy Aquino. His driver died and a bullet is still in his body. Fidel Ramos was Secretary of Defence at this time and protected the Aquino Regime.
Cory asked the governors and mayors to resign and she replaced them with her own people. She put Peping Cojuangco in-charge of appointing officials but he and Tingting Cojuangco were known to be corrupt as well. President Aquino forgot to change the judges and fiscals who were corrupt and were appointed mostly by Marcos and Enrile. That is why Imelda and her children were never persecuted and won every case, their hidden and stolen wealth were never found or returned. Cases lasted for 15 years or more. This is also one of the reasons why only the rich won in court. It became a milking cow of judges, fiscals and lawyers.
She changed the Constitution and went back to the old system of Government. All the Marcos projects were discontinued including the Bataan Nuclear Plant. This should have lowered the price of electricity in the country. Instead there was a crises after this and prices went sky high relying on oil and gas creating too much pollution.
President Aquino returned ABS CBN and the Meralco Electric Plant to the Lopezes and other properties sequestered by the Marcos government and given to their cronies. She tried to get back some of the hidden wealth of the Marcoses and their cronies which were in the name of their relatives and friends. Marcos created a lot of corporations all over the world to confuse people and hide his stolen wealth. The Marcoses had buildings and houses in America and elsewhere as well and bank deposits. It was rumoured that their wealth came from corruption, cornering the gold production of some mines in the Philippines and from some Yamashita Treasures their team found or stolen like the Golden Buddha in Baguio.
Marcos vision
Marcos had great foresight on where the country was going. He knew that Metro Manila was going to be overcrowded and the roads will be clogged. He proposed that major Government offices be transferred to Pampanga and Tarlac where the Government owned 34,000 hectares of land. He planned to sell the buildings and properties in Metro Manila.
There were also plans to built a canal from Laguna de Bay to the Philippine Seas to stop the yearly flooding there.
He planned to stay in power forever and create a dynasty for his family. He was aware of people who were gaining popularity to take over and suppressed them like Rafael Salas. But he surrounded himself with bright people. He also had a photographic memory.
In spite of the crimes and sins of the Marcos couple, they have built highways all over the country, made the Heart Center, the Cultural Center, and many other projects which benefited the country. Imelda also introduced the Green Revolution to teach the people to plant vegetables. They built San Bernardino Strait between Leyte and Samar.
The Pork Barrel in Congress and Senate gave Congressmen more than P60 million while Senators received P160 million so everybody was happy. They used this to buy votes during the election and can put up projects where they can get a percentage. Sometimes, there are ghost projects where the money disappears but there are no projects. This happened when Napoles came into the picture and even Enrile and his Secretary were accused of corruption.
The Marcoses corrupted the whole system during their more than 20 year reign and made it into a science and an art. They corrupted the whole system specially the Army and Police Forces so that they can gain control and will be protected. He set up the Barangays to control even the small barrios and towns.
People wondered why they were not able to get the Mastermind of the murder of Ninoy Aquino in spite of Cory and Pnoy taking over the Government. A rumour was, it was Danding Cojuangco, a close relative who ordered the killing and gave money to the families of those police officers who did the killing.
