The 1986 EDSA Revolution marked a significant event in Philippine history, which continually symbolizes the collective will of the Filipinos showing exemplary courage to oust the authoritarian rule of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. There were widespread human rights abuses, especially those that are poorest among the poor—that had been saddled with deeply rooted problems coming from unequal treatments and violation of human rights characterized by the machiavellian exercise of the dictator’s regime.
Ferdinand Marcos Sr. served as the president of the Philippines back in 1965 to 1986. He suspended and later, gradually rewrote the Philippine constitution, restricted civil freedoms, and imposed a merged authority in the executive branch and among his closest allies after imposing martial law in 1972—a building block for Marcos to rule the Filipino people using his iron fist, not only restricting fundamental liberties, but also repressing the political dissent, and emerging root causes of widespread violations against human rights abusing tens of thousands citizens, detained, tortured, and killed.
“On September 28, 1972, Marcos issued Letter of Instruction No. 1, authorizing the military to take over the assets of major media outlets including the ABS-CBN network, Channel 5, and various radio stations across the country. This was within the first week of his declaration of Martial Law,” one of the articles of the Martial Law Museum stated how Marcos had strict control over the media, silencing the voices with fear that the media may expose the news that is flaming their weakness and also, creating fake narratives, if not so, favoring his government’s policy. Furthermore, the time of Marcos administration raised the rate of marginalized populations along with the majority of Filipino citizens experiencing prejudice and disregard, making the social inequality in this country worse than before. Moreover, during this time, nepotism wasn't just the only issue why the majority of Filipinos suffered from economic hardships, the corrupt government and its officials led by the dictator accumulated enormous fortunes at the expense of the country's coffer and made the Philippines collapse.
February 1986, the extremity of discontentment reached its limit when millions of Filipinos took to the streets in peaceful protest. "Marching for three days hand in hand with the people, priests, nuns, and seminarians used Bibles, crosses, and rosaries to defy soldiers armed with truncheons, teargas, and guns. The Catholic Church became a major actor in the revolution, attracting the participation of the so-called "middle class" to the streets." Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, a human rights activist, highlighted the Philippines' church's role in transformation and speaking out to influence against the abuse of power. The revolutionary response of the Catholic Church played a significant role in mobilizing the masses—people against the government, prayers against power, and the battle of the voice among the voiceless. Hence, the sheer force of people power concluded as Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was forced to leave the Philippines on February 25, 1986, a time to end his repressive regime.
The EDSA Revolution was not all about Ferdinand Marcos Sr. or Corazon Aquino, it is about the people themselves, our brothers and sisters, and their collective efforts to stand firm and strong against the myriad challenges of corruption and mismanagement under the Marcos regime which serves as a living testament to the power of ordinary citizens to create a change amidst the tyranny. The Marcos era was a dark chapter in Philippine history, yet, in the face of such adversity, the Filipino spirit remained unbroken—a triumph that unleashed the people living under his rule.
Meanwhile, doubts on democracy surfaced, as they began to question the viability of democracy in our country. Democracy is a government system wherein the power lies in its people. It is not failproof, of course, but it echoes hope that the voices of the common people still have volume. After all, when we think about other forms of government, what guarantee do we have that this country won't be ruled by a select few out to safeguard their vested interests? None.
It is undeniably a fact that Marcos brought some infrastructure and development to the country, but these achievements are overshadowed by the massive impact of authoritarianism, corruption, and widespread injustices endured by the majority of Filipinos under his rule. At present, the resurgence of another Marcos as a head honcho of the land should warrant skepticism, especially with the shenanigans that are linked to their attempt and glaring admission of saving their family's image. The exclusion of this day from the annual list of special non-working holidays under the justification of minimal socio-economic impact due to its alignment with regular rest days, for instance, may change how it reflects on our calendars but will never scrape off history and today's uncanny similarity. Lessons of history may seem to be confined to the past, but it brings so much more to the table.
As we commemorate the proclamation of the People Power Revolution on this day, we must ensure that time does not erase its written record and be true to its truths; otherwise, we risk forgetting the reality and falling for the "golden" façade. And we, the nation's stakeholders, must never let all the sacrifices made by previous generations go in vain. May we never settle for the bare minimum, and never ever accept mediocrity when it is the marginalized masses that bear the brunt of injustice. Let’s never be afraid to trample down injustices just because it is psychologically distant for us and live by how our generation is named– revolutionary.
Written by Jhia Perez and Justine Fernandez
Layout by Thealy Dominique Silva
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