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MALACAŅANG PALACE - Tonight, nothing was
working. The Enrile-Ramos team was on the
air, making noise without letup over Radio
Veritas and other stations, waging an
aggressive propaganda war. Eager to confront
the rebels, presidential aide Col. Aruiza
called up Gen. Ver on the other side of the
river and urged him to act. Ver said, "I
have no instructions from the President."
All through the night and the next two days,
there was the same maddening inaction on the
part of government troops. No one was
thinking; no one was taking the initiative.
Several generals besides Ver could have
planned and executed counteraction, but they
didn't. Some were nowhere to be found. They
were all waiting for Marcos, but Marcos was
sick. Others had already made up their minds
to sit it out and join the winners.
MALACAŅANG pp.
104-5
CAMP CRAME, Past Midnight - Butz Aquino
sought out Gen. Ramos to tell him, "The
troops are here!" Butz was surprised to see
the general "so relaxed, with his cigar,
like he has no problem, as if it's a social
visit." He was glad he saw Enrile first
because then, "there was urgency."
Ramos explained their plans to secure the
camp, briefed them regarding the entrances
and exits that should be guarded. Butz asked
how many people Ramos had. "All told, about
3,000."
"As it turned out, he was also counting the
wives, househelpers, everybody in the camp,
including the dogs. The soldiers were only
300."
Gen. Ramos asked if the troops were prepared
to stay for two months. Butz answered, "If
it takes three months to remove that guy
from Malacaņang, we are prepared to stay
three months." Sun Inq Mag 1 Jun
MALACAŅANG PALACE - Marcos called Olivas for
a fifth time about dispersing the crowds on
EDSA. Olivas finally told Marcos, "The crowd
is beyond the capability of my men to
disperse." Veritas Special Oct 86
Marcos ordered Olivas to get in touch with
Major Gen. Josephus Ramas, Commander of the
Army, and ask for reinforcements. Olivas did
not contact Gen. Ramas. BREAKAWAY p. 41
CIA agents who had set up shop in a back
office of the Defense Ministry kept Ramos
and Enrile informed of everything Ver did,
and passed on all communications coming out
of Malacanang. Enrile stayed in frequent
contact with Ambassador Borworth through
this backroom CIA link. DYNASTY p. 414
RADIO VERITAS, 1:45 AM - Letter of
resignation of Supreme Court Justice Nestor
Alampay was read by his daughter Maria
Belen. QUARTET p. 35
FORT BONIFACIO, 3:00 AM - General Ver
finally called his commanders together at
the Officers' Club to discuss plans for a
counter-attack. With over 100 senior
officers attending, the meeting lurched
aimlessly from the coup to the
counter-attack. Ver appointed Army Chief
Gen. Josephus Ramas, a protegee with no
significant combat experience, to lead the
assault on the rebel camps. Veritas Special
Oct 86
Enrile urged that Corazon Aquino announce
not later than Tuesday the formation of her
own government as the duly-elected
President. Malaya 24 Feb
RADIO VERITAS, 3:07 AM - Cardinal Sin went
on the air to implore Marcos troops not to
use their weapons and to Gen. Ver not to use
violence. He asked the faithful "not to
abandon Enrile and Ramos." QUARTET p. 35
CAMP CRAME, 4:30 AM - Col. Alexander P.
Aguirre, Chief of Operations at Constabulary
Headquarters, arrived from Baguio City. He
rushed to Ramos's side and worked
continuously on the defense plan in line
with the following guidelines laid down by
Ramos: (1) Galvanize and make maximum use of
"people power;" (2) Undertake no provocative
military action against the opposing side.
BREAKAWAY p. 51
DAKILA, MALOLOS, BULACAN, 5:30 AM - Troops
under PC Lt. Col. Cesar Alvarez, Bulacan PC
Commander, PC Major Napoleon Castro of the
185th PC Company in Tarlac, and Capt. Tito
Samson "neutralized" Radio Veritas's
transmitter station. Midday Malaya 20 May
A group of armed men, numbering around 40,
in fatigue pants and yellow t-shirts, armed
with armalite rifles, axes, and hardwood,
stormed the radio antenna farm of Radio
Veritas. They destroyed 60 KW AM and
shortwave transmitters and 16 units of radio
equipment. Inquirer 24 Feb
Limited to a 10-kilowatt emergency
transmitter, Radio Veritas now covered only
Luzon and was not expected to last the day.
Malaya 24 Feb
JAIME CARDINAL SIN :
Cory
spoke to me on Sunday morning. She said, "We
have a big problem. There is a third force."
I told her : "No. I am sure they are staging
this because they want you to be the
President. Go there and thank them. Without
this, you could be demonstrating every day
and you will still not be President. But
now, you will be. You can see the hand of
God. This is the answer to our prayers." PEOPLE
POWER (II) p. 119
FORT BONIFACIO, 9:00 AM - Army Commander
Ramas called another planning conference and
put together two Provisional Tactical
Brigades (PTB) out of the First Marine
Provisional Division (FMPD), each having two
battalions and an armored company, in line
with plans drawn up by Brawner. The FMPD was
placed under the command of Brig. Gen. Jose
Paez; the 1st PTB under Col. Braulio Balbas;
the 2nd PTB under Col. Eugenio Reyes; and
the armor under Maj. Sergio Eria.
The idea was that after the crowd was swept
away by CDC units in Libis, the regiment
under Balbas would enter Camp Aguinaldo
through the Logistics Command area, take
possession of Camp Aguinaldo, then position
tanks and mortar for the bombardment of Camp
Crame, after which Marines would pour into
Camp Crame, occupy it and take captives.
Reyes's regiment was to come into the fray
in case Balbas's men could not finish the
job. Crame would also be under artillery
fire from howitzers positioned at the
University of Life, about three kilometers
southeast of Crame. BREAKAWAY p. 53
CAMP CRAME, 9:30 AM - Brig. Gen. Eduardo
Ermita, Col. Honesto Isleta, and retired
Col. Noe Andaya prepared the text of a
written appeal to AFP units and individual
officers and men to move over to the rebel
side. Col. Ruben Ciron dictated it to a
friendly printing press for 50,000 copies by
afternoon. BREAKAWAY p. 63
Gen. Ramos announced that he and Enrile had
a majority of the 12 PC-INP regional and
provincial commands, as well as paramilitary
groups, backing them. Inquirer 24 Feb
Ramos
set his aides and staff officers, young
lieutenants and captains, calling up
classmates and friends in the Marcos-Ver
camp.
Fidel
Ramos: This sort of psychological play was
going on almost the whole day Sunday. And
somehow it worked. We were able to mobilize
to our side some sizable and major
components of the AFP.
MAGELLAN HOTEL, CEBU CITY, 11:00 AM - Mrs.
Aquino held a brief press conference. PEOPLE
POWER (I) p. 148
She issued twin calls: to the Filipino
people to rally behind rebel Defense
Minister Enrile and Lt. Gen. Fidel V. Ramos,
and to decent elements in the military to
"follow the defectors and support the
people's will. For the sake of the Filipino
people I ask Mr. Marcos to step down now so
we can have a peaceful transition of
government." Inquirer 24 Feb
FORT
BONIFACIO - The Ramas juggernaut was poised
for the slam on the beleaguered camps. But
Ver and the other generals left Ramas at the
Fort and rushed to Malacaņang to stand
behind Marcos during a televised press
conference. BREAKAWAY p. 53
MALACAŅANG PALACE - The scenery had become
more metallic: the grounds were bristling
with armor. There were two tanks in front of
the Administration building, three in front
of the Maharlika Hall, and three more at odd
places.
At the Presidential table were Presidential
Executive Assistant Juan C. Tuvera, Agrarian
Reform Minister Conrado Estrella, Public
Works Minister Jesus Hipolito, Food
Administrator Jesus Tanchangco, Agriculture
Minister Salvador Escudero III, Education
Minister Jaime C. Laya, Member of Parliament
Teodulo Natividad, Budget Minister Manuel
Alba, MP Salvador Britanico, former Acting
Foreign Minister Pacifico Castro, MIA
Manager Luis Tabuena, Isabela Governor
Faustino Dy, Information Minister Gregorio
Cendana, Justice Minister Estelito Mendoza,
Justice Buenaventura Guerrero, Assistant
Press Secretary Amante Bigornia, MP Antonio
Raquiza, Economic Planning Minister Vicente
Valdepenas, and former Senator Rodolfo
Ganzon.
Standing behind them were Gen. Ver, Rear
Admiral Ochoco, and lesser stars Brawner,
Carlos Martel, Juanito Veridiano, Hamilton
Dimaya, Eustaquio Purugganan, Telesforo
Tayko, Serapio Martillano, Pompeyo Vasquez,
Victorino Azada, Arsenio Silva, Evaristo
Sanches, Emerson Tangan, and Navy Capt.
Danilo Lazo.
Marcos was in another room talking to Capt.
Morales, Maj. Aromin, and two more - Lt.
Col. Jake Malajacan and Maj. Ricardo
Brillantes - who had not as yet made
statements on TV. BREAKAWAY p. 54
Sonny Razon: Whenever there was a lull, I
would think about my family. What would
happen to them? How would my wife explain
this to my kids? If we lose, we're bandits,
rebels. How would my wife tell my kids,
explain to them about my beliefs and my
actions?
CEREMONIAL HALL, 12 Noon - Enter Marcos. The
four detained officers were brought in, in
two's, by Diego, the PSC lawyer. Ver glared
at the captives as the four men took seats
to the President's left. Marcos presented
them and said there were others who had been
arrested but were still being interrogated.
Malajacan read his statement and Brillantes
his affidavit. Ibid.
President Marcos said his men surrounded the
two military camps. His men were "one
artillery shot away because I don't want any
overly enthusiastic soldier firing his
weapon. They are around the camp but I told
them to stay away." He added that he was
changing the order, moving them
closer. Business Day 24 Feb
He scoffed at Enrile's and Ramos's demand,
echoed by foreign governments, that he
resign. "Certainly I will not resign on the
say-so of those who criticize my
administration."
He harped on the vulnerability of the
besieged rebels and discouraged outside
intervention in the resolution of the
potentially bloody crisis, saying, "It is a
local problem."
Also he claimed that the presence of a large
number of civilians outside the two camps
did not bother him at all. "If you are going
to be frightened by 2,000 civilians, then
what is the use of running a
government?" Inquirer 24 Feb
Fidel Ramos: We continued to use the phones,
my aides and I, to mobilize to our side
other sizable and major components of the
AFP. I was calling the commanders, my young
lieutenants and captains were calling their
friends, their wives were calling the wives
of other friends on the other
side...classmate to classmate calls,
relative to relative calls...this was going
on all the time.
VILLAMOR AIR BASE, 1:00 PM - The order to
disable the helicopters at Camp Crame was
scrapped. Instead the 15th Strike Wing flew
four reconnaisance sorties the rest of the
afternoon. Business Day 12 Mar
MALACAŅANG PALACE, 1:30 PM - Ver gave the
command for the "intimidation" force to jump
off towards Aguinaldo and Crame. Ver's idea
was for the axe to fall while Marcos was
telling Enrile and Ramos to yield.
Planner of the operation was Tadiar, who
modified the plans made in the morning: the
"intimidator" was the 1st Marine Provisional
Division with Brig. Gen. Jose Paez as
commanding general. The division had two
brigades: the 4th Marine Provisional Brigade
led by Col. Braulio Balbas, Jr., and the 5th
Provisional Brigade led by Col. Eugenio
Reyes. Each brigade had two battalions; the
4th Brigade was to assault and seize the
Constabulary headquarters building in Camp
Crame. BREAKAWAY p. 59
CEBU - Immediately after lunch Cory flew to
Manila in a private Cessna plane. Asiaweek 9
Mar
Cory Aquino: We took the same plane that
brought us to Cebu. It was a light plane, a
private plane. I think the Cebu tower did
not officially inform Manila that I was a
passenger on that plane. Because when I
landed at the airport, I didn't see anybody
there except
EDSA, CUBAO, 1:30 PM - Butz was called to a
meeting with Gen. Alfredo Lim, who was "calm
as usual." Lim had been ordered to go to
EDSA with army troops and anti-riot squads
to disperse the crowds that were massed
around the camps. He had more than 350
soldiers in several army transport trucks.
Butz suggested that Lim and Ramos dialogue
and settle the matter between themselves.
From the furniture store where Lim and Butz
met, Gen. Lim spoke to Gen. Ramos by
telephone. Gen. Ramos told Gen. Lim to "stay
put." Gen. Lim agreed. Unknown to Butz, Gen.
Lim was among the officers in the
Metropolitan Police force who were part of a
pre-arranged agreement to comply with
disperse or attack orders by merely going to
the scene but taking no antagonistic action.
This group was headed by Gen. Prospero
Olivas. Sun Inq Mag 1 Jun
At 2:00 PM, the RAM decided it was time to
consolidate forces with Gen. Ramos in Camp
Crame. Enrile prepared to vacate the
Ministry building.
At 2:15 the 1st Marine Provisional Division
finally jumped off with Tadiar instead of
Paez in the lead.
FORT BONIFACIO - It was a formidable column,
spearheaded by armor. Witnesses counted 6
tanks, 10 APC's, 8 jeeps, and 13 six-by-six
trucks. The column rolled through Forbes
road and turned right into EDSA.
BREAKAWAY p. 60
At 2:20 Cory arrived in Manila and headed
for a sister's house in Wack Wack
Subdivision in Mandaluyong.
At 2:24 Enrile left Camp Aguinaldo to join
Ramos in Camp Crame.
EDSA, CAMP GATES - Enrile and his men moved
out of Camp Aguinaldo in a very disciplined
formation, his men surrounding him, and
accompanied by nuns saying the rosary and
carrying images of the Virgin Mary. Sun Inq
Mag 24 Feb
Enrile left behind a small group of
soldiers, clerks, and some officers of ISAFP
who had declared their loyalty to the
rebels. BREAKAWAY p. 58
MALACAŅANG PALACE - Ver got wind of morale
problems in the Army, Air Force, and
Marines. He went to Fort Bonifacio together
with Ochoco, Bello, Corrachea, Brawner, and
Col. Ver to give the boys a pep talk. On the
advice of his son, Ver took along detainees
Morales, Aromin, Malajacan, and Brillantes
to display them as proof that the reported
assassination plot was for real. Op. cit.,
p. 58
At 2:47 tanks were reported rolling towards
Camp Crame from Guadalupe in Makati.
EDSA, GUADALUPE To get to her sister's
house in Wack Wack, Greenhills, Cory's party
had to go through EDSA. As the column of
seven tanks and a contingent of two Marine
battalions rolled down the highway, Cory's
car moved right along with the tanks.
Inquirer 25 Feb 90
Cory Aquino: CNN followed me all the way to
Wack Wack. We were driving alongside the
tanks, but our car had tinted glass windows
so nobody knew that it was us, except CNN. I
don't know, maybe they thought that CNN was
following them.
EDSA, MAKATI - Two cars of civilians (Vangie
Durian, Viring Ongkeko, Aida Ciron, Charito
Jackson Chu, Jojo Durian, Jeffrey Gaballes,
and Eugene Ongkeko) coming from the old
Makati Hotel cleared the Guadalupe Bridge
and saw ahead of them a convoy of nine to
twelve amphibian tanks. They immediately
overtook the tanks and left the convoy
behind. As they neared the Ortigas corner
EDSA intersection, they saw hundreds of cars
directly ahead of them, possibly going to
reinforce Crame. Behind them they saw some
JD and DM buses coming their way. They
stopped and hijacked the buses. "Please help
us! The tanks are coming!" Without thinking
twice, the people in the buses jumped out
and almost instinctively formed barricades.
Soon the Ortigas/EDSA intersection was
jammed with buses, Mercedes Benzes, and a
whole assortment of other cars. In a few
minutes the crowds started pouring in,
strengthening the barricades with their
bodies. Mr & Ms 21 Mar
EDSA / ORTIGAS - The people watched tensely.
The convoy of tanks slowed down as they
approached the barricades. Mr & Ms 21 Mar
The crowds outside the rebel camps had grown
from 500 at dawn to over 500,000 by
mid-afternoon. Veritas Special Oct 86
The Marines decided to bypass the human sea,
turned right before reaching Ortigas, and
crashed through a cement wall into a vacant
lot aiming to exit at a portion of Ortigas,
but the exit was again blocked by onrushing
masses of people. BREAKAWAY p. 60
Tadiar radioed Gen. Ramas for instructions.
Ramas: "Ram through! Ram through the crowds,
regardless of casualties!" Veritas
Special Oct 86
The tanks did not move. The soldiers
alighted from the tanks, their chests
bemedalled with strings of bullets. The
people, some in tears, held their rosaries
tightly. The soldiers, in their rubber
shoes, stood straight, their M-16 rifles
held at attention.
Vangie Durian whispered, "It's the Marines;
then it must be Gen. Tadiar. He is known as
a terror. That's why he is called Tadjak."
Viring Ongkeko suggested that they talk to
him and dissuade him from following whatever
orders he had. They rushed forward. A man's
voice prodded them on shouting, "Sige ho,
kayo na ang humantad. Hindi kayo papatulan
kasi babae kayo." ("Go ahead, they're less
likely to pounce on women.")
Gen. Artemio Tadiar was heavily protected by
a group of very fierce-looking Marines. The
women were shoved aside successfully by the
butts of rifles. Viring Ongkeko defiantly
asked, "Why do you have to push us with your
guns? You only have to push us with your
hands and we will already fall down."
Gen. Tadiar asked his men to take it easy.
Aida Ciron (wife of Ruben Ciron, a senior
aide of Enrile) managed to lunge her way in
and landed directly at Gen. Tadiar,
literally embracing him. "Temy, you also
have a wife and children, please don't do
it!"
Gen. Tadiar tried to get away from her grasp
but he couldn't because by then Vangie
Durian was also holding him by the hand. "Temy,
you know me, we were neighbors in Navy
Village."
"Is Jess there?" asked Tadiar. "Yes, and
this is my son Jojo." Jojo introduced
himself saying, "Sir, I used to go to your
house to play with your son." Despite the
tension and hysteria, the wailing and the
crying, formal amenities were still being
observed.
A woman from the bus also went near the
general. "General, what are you going to
do?"
"We are not going to hurt civilians. Our
orders are to confront Enrile and Ramos."
Gen. Tadiar removed his bullet-proof vest.
"See? We are only going to talk." "But how
can you say you will not hurt civilians?
Once Enrile and Ramos see you, they will get
nervous. There will be an exchange of
gunfire."
While all this was happening, crowds
continued to converge around them, coming
from all directions. Soon all the tanks were
again facing groups of people. All kinds of
exchanges could be heard. "Marami naman tayo,
sugurin na natin sila!" ... "Bakit kayo
sumusunod sa diktador?" ... "We're Filipinos
like you! Don't kill us!"
Some others did their part by simply
choking, screaming, crying, or praying. One
group chanted, "Co-ree, Co-ree, Co-ree!"
Then a mestizo, in halting English, broke up
the chanting. "I am just an ordinary
citizen. The decision is not mine but all of
us. Gen. Tadiar is requesting that their
orders are to confront Enrile. They are
allowing us to accompany them. Papayagan ba
natin sila? (Shall we allow them?)"
The people shouted in chorus, "Hindi! Hindi
puwede! (No! No way!)"
Tingting Cojuangco arrived. She and Tito
Guingona conferred with Gen. Tadiar. Gen.
Tadiar agreed that Tingting and Tito should
go to Crame and talk to Enrile.
Tadiar: "I will give you thirty minutes
only." Mr & Ms 21 Mar
EDSA, CAMP AGUINALDO GATE - A mammoth crowd
met Enrile at the gate. Chanting, "Johnny!
Johnny!" the crowd parted like the Red Sea,
allowing Enrile and his 300-strong security
to cross the highway bearing their
arms. Inquirer 24 Feb
The people linked arms, creating a
protective wall for the reformist troops.
Col. Honasan forged ahead to shield Minister
Enrile as they crossed the street. Honasan
was very scared when they started out. But
when they hit the first row of people, and
the people started to wipe the soldiers'
brow, give them food, and thank them,
Honasan knew they had won. "All my fears
disappeared. The worst scenario, for me, was
not that we would have been bombed but that
the people might turn against us." PEOPLE
POWER (II) p. 155
Sonny Razon: Vic Batac and Red Kapunan were
the brains of RAM, but Gringo was also
smart, and he was the one with charisma.
Alex Sembrano: I trained under Gringo, and
he was a very highly respected officer.
Whatever he asked you to do, he would do it
first, he was that kind of leader. He also
called people by their first name, even the
soldiers. That's why he was really well
liked.
EDSA, CRAME GATE - When Enrile had crossed,
Butz Aquino whispered to him, "Minister,
talk to the people. Thank them for staying
so they will stay longer."
Enrile did so. Climbed the first two of
six steps of a platform and started
speaking. But then the people cheered,
"Johnny! Johnny!" and just like any
politician, he climbed two more steps to
show himself a little bit more, to the
consternation of his security. At first,
only his head was above the crowd, but with
all the cheers and applause, he took two
more steps, and his planned three-minute
appeal took ten minutes. Sun Inq Mag 1 Jun
Fidel Ramos: Minister Enrile moved to Camp
Crame on my suggestion. It's a good thing he
listened to me. Camp Aguinaldo was too big,
more difficult to defend, specially if you
don't have enough troops of your own. Also,
Camp Crame was easier to fill with people.
RADIO VERITAS - Regional Trial Court Judge
Alfredo Tadiar appealed to his nephew Gen.
Artemio Tadiar, Commander of the Philippine
Marines, to support the stand taken by Ramos
and Enrile. "Make the right decision on the
basis of evidence and intellect. Bear in
mind, the future of this generation is at
stake." Inquirer 25 Feb
LOUIE AGNIR - The now famous "Uncle Fred"
made his historic appeal to Gen. Tadiar over
Radio Veritas. "Artemio, this is your Uncle
Fred. Your Aunt Florence and I and all your
cousins are here in Crame. Now, Boy, please
listen to me" Many cheered Uncle Fred and
Aunt Florence and the nameless cousins that
day. So did I, with much joy and
thanksgiving. Philippine Star 25 Feb 88
EDSA, ORTIGAS, 4:00 PM - Gen. Tadiar stood
on top of a tank and spoke, asking the
people to either allow them to pass or they
will use the backdoor. The people shouted,
"Hindi puwede! Mamamatay tayong lahat dito!
(No way! We will all die here!)" Mr
& Ms 21 Mar
Butz Aquino got on top of a tank and spoke.
He told the people about Gen. Lim, hoping
that Gen. Tadiar would also "stay put." In
closing, he said to Gen. Tadiar,
"General, you say higher authorities gave
you the order to disperse us. Well, the
higher authority-the Chief of Staff we
recognize-is Gen. Ramos, and the
Commander-in-Chief we recognize is Cory
Aquino, and we know they didn't order you to
disperse us. Besides, we are fighting for
our freedoms, and if it's necessary to die,
we're prepared to die."
Tadiar was angry. He wanted Butz to pacify,
not agitate, the crowd. Sun Inq Mag 1 Jun
The tanks roared their engines. Butz almost
fell to the ground. Mr & Ms 21 Mar
Butz was helped down and was made to sit in
front of the tank. There were two nuns
slightly in front, one to his left, one to
his right.
"The
sound alone gave me the jitters. And from my
angle, the tank looked like it's as big as a
house!" The
tank moved forward for about a meter.
"People
were crying and praying and singing all at
the same time."
Butz waited for the nuns to move but "they
didn't budge!" So he stayed.
"You
know, bahala na!" Sun
Inq Mag 1 Jun
Only as death became an immediate
possibility did the general mood become
grimmer and graver, more serious, though
still outwardly lighthearted. The smiling
crowds dancing forth to meet cannon and tank
with crocus and cross, with roses and
rosaries, were performing the ultimate
sacrament of grace under pressure. The
crocus ribbons we tied on signified tiger
yellow, however striped with
black. Philippine activism was at last
putting a tiger in its tank. QUARTET
p. 28
The tanks stopped. The people clapped,
cheered, found time to wipe their tears. The
crowd got bigger, swelled to thousands. Mr &
Ms 21 Mar
Out of this confrontation, ordinary street
Filipinos, Tondo people and faceless, joined
with the middle class, and both discovered a
kind of spontaneous collective will that
they had never exerted before, and a common
bond they had never nurtured. It electrified
them. Tears streamed down faces. Some began
to sing. "People Power" was born.
DYNASTY p. 415
Joe Alejandro: And then when the tanks stop,
that's when you see big men throw up. Their
adrenalin is so high, they throw up. But the
women...the women have guts. They don't
throw up.
EDSA - By Sunday afternoon, Manila was
delirious. The boulevard between the army
camps was a human sea, the crowd surging and
receding like a tide as government forces
arrived and retreated and returned.
Demonstrators carried banners demanding
Marcos's resignation. Rebel soldiers, their
flag patches inverted, mingled with the
throng. IN OUR IMAGE p. 418
The predominance of yellow in the crowd was
clear evidence that the people perceived the
reformist forces as supporting Cory.
IMPOSSIBLE DREAM p. 391
Sonny Razon: People power came as a surprise
to me because the people used to look down
on the military, specially since Ninoy's
assassination and then Gen. Ver's trial.
Plus, our plans were all wrecked! Who would
side with losers? When suddenly, wow! People
power!
Cory Aquino: It was surprising, yes, because
during the seven years and seven months of
my husband's incarceration, the Filipino
people were not all that courageous. it was
very difficult to get people to join us in
our protest movement. During my husband's
hunger strike, for instance, we had mass
everyday for forty days at Greenhills and I
was so grateful then if we would have two
hundred attending; even at that, they were
mostly relatives and my closest friends, and
the nuns-the sisters were really very
courageous. But then it all changed after
Ninoy was assassinated. So I guess it was a
building-up. I guess people don't really
change overnight, you have to keep on
working on yourself to build up that courage
and that strength and that confidence. And
while it is true, I was surprised, it was a
very welcome change, and I felt that
whatever happened, at least we had very
brave Filipinos standing up for the cause.
CAMP CRAME - Enrile learned that a column of
seven tanks plus a contingent of two Marine
battalions, moving towards their direction
from Fort Bonifacio had been stopped by the
people at the intersection of Ortigas and
EDSA. He also learned that there was another
contingent of tanks prepositioned on the
Cubao side whose guns were trained at Camp
Crame.
Enrile made two calls: the first to the US
Ambassador, for him to inform his government
so that the White House could at least
caution the palace to take a more prudent
course; the second to Gen. Ver to tell him,
"If you kill us, you and the President will
go down in history as butchers of your own
officers and men, of the Filipino people,
and of foreign mediamen." Ver's reply: I
will tell them not to push the civilians.
Sun Inq Mag 16 Mar
CAMP CRAME, 6:30 PM At a press conference,
Enrile told newsmen of Marcos's offer of
absolute amnesty to the rebel troops should
they surrender right away. However, Enrile
said, the officers' corps of the rebel
troops belonging to the RAM rejected the
offer. They had decided that their demand
for President Marcos's resignation was "not
negotiable ... the matter has reached a
point where the bottomline is for the
President to step down." Inquirer 24 Feb
Ramos announced the formation of a New Armed
Forces of the Philippines. Sunday Times Mag
9 Mar
Ramos told newsmen that military commanders
of 40 provinces in all twelve regions and
the four districts of Metro Manila had
pledged loyalty. Ramos said he had 17
armoured tanks and two helicopters ready if
Marcos-Ver troops attacked. Asiaweek 9 Mar
The general pledged to put the "New Armed
Forces" at the service of "newly-
constituted authorities", a reference to an
Aquino-led provisional government. BAYAN
KO! p. 130
Enrile expected the situation "to get
lively" by nightfall. Ramos declared, "We
are not running away." Although he
acknowledged that two battalions of Ver's
Scout Rangers and one Marine battalion under
Brig. Gen. Artemio Tadiar are ready to
advance from Camp Aguinaldo across the
highway; and a column of APCs was on its way
down Ortigas Ave. Asiaweek 9 Mar
Ramos named at least six field Brigadier
Generals who had joined his forces: Tomas
Manlongat, Renato de Villa, Dionisio Tan-gatue,
Carlos Aguilar, Benjamin Ignacio and Rodrigo
Gutang. These were apart from the four
police superintendents of the same rank in
Metro Manila: Narciso Cabrera, Alfredo Lim,
Ruben Escarcha and Alfredo Yson, and about a
score of colonels and lieutenant colonels in
command of troops. Manila Times 24 Feb
Enrile said that firearms would not be
distributed to thousands of opposition
supporters preventing troops from advancing
on the camp. Any fighting would be done by
the rebels themselves. Malaya 24 Feb
Cory Aquino: In the evening I was briefed by
opposition leaders who had been to Crame.
While we waited for Doy who had gone to
Crame first, we were discussing what the
next move would be.
CAMP CRAME, Evening - Salvador Laurel
arrived, just in from Cebu, to "congratulate
Minister Enrile and General Ramos for their
great act of courage." The three then
retired to Ramos's curtained office.
Venerable opposition leader Lorenzo Tanada,
87, came to promise mass actions saying, "We
won't stop until we get through that
barricade at Mendiola!" Rene Saguisag and
Teodoro Locsin conferred with Ramos and
Enrile and decided to ask Aquino to go on
the air later in the evening to appeal for
non-violence.
Ramos ordered leaflets dropped to Marcos
loyalists: "What good is killing each other
now? Let us join hands and together build a
better tomorrow. Be heroes without having to
die. Show the world we believe in God and we
are a truly Christian country." Asiaweek9
Mar
CAMP CRAME, Evening - Salvador Laurel
arrived, just in from Cebu, to "congratulate
Minister Enrile and General Ramos for their
great act of courage." The three then
retired to Ramos's curtained office.
Venerable opposition leader Lorenzo Tanada,
87, came to promise mass actions saying, "We
won't stop until we get through that
barricade at Mendiola!" Rene Saguisag and
Teodoro Locsin conferred with Ramos and
Enrile and decided to ask Aquino to go on
the air later in the evening to appeal for
non-violence.
Ramos ordered leaflets dropped to Marcos
loyalists: "What good is killing each other
now? Let us join hands and together build a
better tomorrow. Be heroes without having to
die. Show the world we believe in God and we
are a truly Christian country." Asiaweek9
Mar
MALACAŅANG PALACE, 7:00 PM - Ver was called
to the Maharlika Lounge where the Papal
Nuncio, Monsignor Bruno Torpigliani, Ricardo
Cardinal Vidal, and Monsignor Severino
Pelayo were waiting for him. The Nuncio had
a letter for Marcos from Pope John Paul II
appealing for a peaceful settlement of the
issue. Jaime Cardinal Sin was not with the
party because hit men were reportedly out to
get him. BREAKAWAY p. 58
WASHINGTON, D.C. Evening (Manila Time) - The
White House issued a statement questioning
the "credibility and legitimacy" of
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos's
government, and saying it shared the
concerns of the rebellious military leaders
demanding his resignation. The statement
stopped short of endorsing the actions of
Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and
Deputy AFP Chief Fidel V. Ramos. Malaya 24
Feb The US offered to help Marcos leave the
island nation in a US aircraft, said a
congressional source. Times Journal 25 Feb
LIBIS, QUEZON CITY, 8:00 PM - Col. Balbas
reported to Tadiar that his unit was stopped
by human barricades and that all possible
approaches to Camp Aguinaldo were full of
people. Tadiar ordered him to return to Fort
Bonifacio. BREAKAWAY p. 61
CAMP CRAME, 8:30 PM - More soldiers were
pinning to their uniforms the Reform
Movement's symbol: a small national flag
with the red uppermost. The two thousand
printed were not enough for "an endless
stream" of supporters from everywhere. Asiaweek 9
Mar
Cory Aquino: When Doy came back from Camp
Crame, he told us that there was a proposal
to set up a military-civilian junta. Among
the civilians would be, of course, me and
Doy. I think Celing Palma was also being
mentioned, and possibly Senator Tanada. Of
course, I could not agree to something like
that.
WASHINGTON, D.C., Around 10 PM (Manila Time)
- The National Security Planning Group
gathered in Shultz's house in Maryland.
Those present included Caspar Weinberger,
Michael Armacost, John Poindexter, Robert
Gates, and Philip Habib.
Shultz had just received a message from
Bosworth: "Marcos will not draw the
conclusion that he must leave unless
President Reagan puts it to him directly. Go
for a dignified transition out." The problem
now was plain if difficult: how to persuade
Reagan to tell Marcos to quit. IN OUR IMAGE
p. 419
MARYLAND, USA, 11:30 P.M. - At the Bethesda
home of Secretary of State George Shultz,
the President's special envoy Philip Habib
presented a report on his Manila trip. In
attendance were Caspar Weinberger, Secretary
of Defense; Admiral William Crowe Jr.,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;
Robert Gates, deputy director for
Intelligence of the CIA; and John
Poindexter, the National Security Adviser.
Also present were three officials who had
been preoccupied with the Philippine crisis
for months: Michael Armacost, Undersecretary
of State for Political Affairs; Paul
Wolfowitz, Assistant Secretary of State for
East Asian and Pacific Affairs; and Richard
Armitage, Assistant Secretary of Defense for
International Security Policy.
The group agreed on four principles which
were subsequently presented to President
Reagan: Marcos's ability to govern with the
consent of his people had ended; any effort
by him to crush the reform movement would
only worsen the situation; it was of great
importance to the US that force not be used;
it would be damaging to US standing in the
world if Marcos were treated like the Shah
of Iran, who was admitted to the US for
medical treatment but was not permitted by
the Carter Administration to remain. Time
10 Mar
Reagan dictated a personal message to his
friend appealing to him not to use force.
The message was flashed to Ambassador
Bosworth in Manila who telephoned Marcos. Veritas
Special Oct 86
EDSA - The crowd had thinned since the
retreat of the tanks but not for a moment
throughout the night were the barricades
left unmanned. The vigilantes sat on the
grassy lots just off the highway and kept
themselves awake by telling stories of the
uprising so that from one group to another
passed accounts of this period of civil
disobedience. How four daughters of
Presidents - Nini Quezon, Vicky Quirino,
Rosie Osmena, and Linda Garcia - made the
rounds of the embassies urging foreign
diplomats not to recognize Marcos as
President-elect. How some people were saying
that Cardinal Sin had to be "coaxed" to make
a statement on the Enrile-Ramos rebellion
and that his call to the faithful was
originally intended to ask them merely to
bring food to the rebels. How other people
were vexed by the pussyfooting of the Papal
Nuncio and were sarcastically suggesting
that he deliver the invocation at the Marcos
inaugural. How Lino Brocka and Behn
Cervantes were proving to be the true machos
of showbiz; unscared champions of the
opposition throughout the campaign and now
militant heroes of the resistance. How Nora
Aunor, booed on her first visit to the rebel
camp, had shown spunk by returning for a
second visit to reaffirm her solidarity with
the revolution. How Gen. Ramos had become
"The Nora Aunor of the Revolution," cheered
and mobbed everywhere he went by people
wanting to touch and kiss him. And how his
wife Ming was complaining about his telling
everyone who asked that she and the children
were at home. "Why are you announcing where
we are? What if they take us as hostages?"
Cooly replied Eddie Ramos: "If any of you
are kidnapped, I am not going to
compromise!" QUARTET 47-48 |
