On 4 November 1985, President Ferdinand Marcos announced in an interview on the ABC program “This Week with David Brinkley” that he was ready to call a snap election in the Philippines. This pronouncement followed mounting international pressure and criticism of his government policies. On 3 December 1985, Batas Pambansa Blg. 883, an act calling for a special election for President and Vice President to be held on 7 February 1986, was approved.
To prevent electoral fraud and to ‘preserve the sanctity of the ballot’, the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) mobilized over 500,000 volunteers to serve as poll watchers for the snap elections. The International Observer Delegation also arrived in the Philippines to monitor the election.
Snap Elections were held on February 7, 1986. Two days later, NAMFREL’s unofficial count revealed Corazon Aquino to be winning, but the “official” tally showed Ferdinand Marcos in the lead. In protest of the alleged blatant manipulation of election results – a wide discrepancy that was clearly seen between the election count and tally board – 35 COMELEC employees walked out.
By virtue of Resolution No. 38, signed on February 15, 1986, Ferdinand Marcos and Arturo Tolentino were proclaimed by the Batasang Pambansa as winners of the snap elections. This announcement was met with public outrage. Fifty opposition members of parliament walked out in protest. The next day, Corazon Aquino and Salvador Laurel held a “Tagumpay ng Bayan” (People’s Victory) rally at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta Park, Manila. Aquino called for a civil disobedience campaign through strikes and the boycott of companies owned by Marcos cronies. Among these were the major newspaper companies, San Miguel Corporation, and several banks, including the Philippine National Bank. In less than a week, a total of Php1.78 billion had been withdrawn from crony banks. People all around the country had heeded Aquino’s call.
On February 19, 1986, the US Senate declared that the snap elections was rigged by the ruling party. The international delegation also reported anomalies they observed during the election day such as, disenfranchisement, vote buying, intimidation, and exclusion of NAMFREL from polling sites. On February 22, after a failed coup attempt by the Reform the Armed Movement (RAM), then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, along with Lieutenant General Fidel V. Ramos, announced his defection from the Marcos Administration and recognized Cory as the duly elected President of the Philippines.
Consequently, Cardinal Sin went on air in Radio Veritas, the Catholic radio station that had become a reliable source of news at this time, and asked the people to peacefully show their support for Enrile and Ramos.
From February 22 to 25, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos amassed at the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), calling for a peaceful ouster of Ferdinand Marcos.
In a last attempt to hold into power, Marcos insisted on pushing through with his inauguration. Cory, too, would hold her own inaugural ceremony. Thus, on February 25, the Philippines had two presidents. Corazon Aquino took her oath in Club Filipino in San Juan while Ferdinand Marcos followed an hour later in Malacañang Palace.
Because of the overwhelming support for Aquino and the key military and political defections, Marcos faced defeat and was forced together with his family to depart for Hawaii in exile.
Aquino and Laurel then assumed office and slowly began the restoration of democracy.
References:
- “Interview with President Marcos and Senator Laxalt.” Radio TV Reports, Inc. LINK
- “Batas Pambansa Blg. 883.” The LAWPHiL Project. Arellano Law Foundation. LINK
- “The Fall of the Dictatorship.” The Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. LINK
- “Namfrel History.” National Citizens’ Movement For Free Elections. LINK
- “A Path to Democratic Renewal.” International Observer Delegation. LINK
- “Resolution No. 38.” The Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. LINK.
- Stuart-Santiago, Angela. “Before EDSA – Marcos Times, 1965-1986.” Chronology of a Revolution. EDSA Revolution. LINK.
- “Proclamation No. 1, s. 1986.” The Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. LINK.
Photo credits:
- Wikimedia Commons
- NAMFREL (namfrel.org)
- The LAWPHiL Project, Arellano Law Foundation (lawphil.net)
- Bantayog ng mga Bayani (https://bantayogngmgabayani.org/comelec-walkout-of-1986/)
- International Observer Delegation (usaid.gov)
- Alain Coudert, from the book “People Power, An Eyewitness History: The Philippine Revolution of 1986” (1986) by Monina Allarey Mercado
- Joey De Vera, from the book “People Power, An Eyewitness History: The Philippine Revolution of 1986” (1986) by Monina Allarey Mercado
- Sonny Camarillo and Linglong Ortiz, from the book “People Power, An Eyewitness History: The Philippine Revolution of 1986” (1986) by Monina Allarey Mercado
- Romeo Vitug, from the book “People Power, An Eyewitness History: The Philippine Revolution of 1986” (1986) by Monina Allarey Mercado
