EDSA REVOLUTION

According to President Corazon Aquino:  "I would rather die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life."

My first important involvement in politics was the memorable elections of 1986 which drastically changed the course of history of this nation.

When then President Ferdinand E. Marcos called a snap presidential election in February 7, 1986, my sympathy went to the widow Cory Aquino of the slain Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr.  Twenty years in power and abuses by the military during Martial law was a bitter pill to swallow.  The assassination of Ninoy in August 21, 1983 fueled massive protests in the urban centers of the country.

When I worked at the then Ministry of Public Works and Highways (MPWH) in 1984, I voted for the candidates of Marcos’ Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) candidates.  Most especially then Assemblyman Nicanor Yñiguez who was slated for Speakership during that time.  I was connected with the government so I had to go with the current.  But I believed also that the Speaker was a good man and an astute politician.

Then I worked as a full time instructor at the Saint Joseph College Engineering Department starting in the first semester of school year 1985-86.  The School President Bishop Vicente Ataviado was pro-Cory during the presidential campaign and so did the majority of the faculty members.  Our stand was Martial Law had good intentions and people were disciplined especially the bad elements of the society.  Only that Marcos had lost control of his military and his close allies.

I openly campaigned in the classroom and in the gatherings of different organizations against Marcos and favored Cory to become President because of pure sympathy to Ninoy and the strong clamor for change.

It was against the will of my mother, who at that time worked at the MPWH.  Her sympathy was with Cory but she could not voice out her sentiments as government employees were forced to vote for Marcos.

Cory may not have the experience as compared to Marcos.  But Cory had the sincerity to serve and the fear of God.  Human rights abuses by the military, massive cronyism and corruption, and the downfall of the nation’s economy were the main issues against Marcos.  Gone were the days when the Philippines was number two to Japan in the Asian economy.  Now we are second to Bangladesh at the bottom.    

When the results of the snap elections came out, Marcos was ahead by millions.  The COMELEC final tally had Marcos winning with 10,807,197 votes against Aquino's 9,291,761 votes. While the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), an accredited non-government poll watcher, had Aquino winning with 7,835,070 votes against Marcos' 7,053,068 votes.  

There were reports of manipulation of votes and terrorism and the counting was marred by the walkout of 29 COMELEC computer technicians because of the fraud.  It ignited the spirit of revolt among the people.  Marcos was proclaimed by the Batasang Pambansa as the duly elected president.  Protests mushroomed all over the Philippines as reports of massive cheating abound everywhere.  Campaign of civil disobedience came to Maasin by the Cory Aquino Movement national officials. 

The snap elections proved to be very divisive in the local scene.  We had debates and heated arguments with friends, relatives and classmates who were backers of the KBL especially if they were working or their parents were connected with the government.  Conflicts were everywhere as disputes on who won the elections were widespread.    

We, Cory sympathizers were threatened to be arrested.  My mother was threatened to be transferred to a far district outside Region 8.  But the will of God prevailed as Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Vice Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos led a military revolt against the embattled president.  Cory and Cardinal Sin called on the people to support the renegade soldiers and millions flocked to Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) at Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo.

That time we had a ringhop and necklacing ceremonies for engineering students at the SJC Social Hall and my colleagues in the Cory
 Aquino movement called on me at the school where the activities were still ongoing.  We rejoiced and monitored the proceedings over radio.  There was no clear television signal that time in Maasin. 

The rest is history.  People power prevailed.  On February 25, 1986, Cory took her oath as President of the Philippines.  While Marcos took also his own oath, then he left with his family for Hawaii.  In Maasin, we had a big celebration among Coryistas.  There was a motorcade but it was harassed by followers of the toppled regime. 

But it did not stop the enthusiasm of the supporters of the new-found freedom.  Democracy again prevailed.  Dictatorship was overthrown.  It was a revolution of the people, a bloodless one, by the Filipino people.  The fruits of EDSA are for democracy for us the people of the Philippines. 

EDSA People Power II came when President Joseph Estrada was impeached in the later part of 2000 and people gathered once again at EDSA calling for his resignation.  It culminated in the swearing in of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, then Vice President, as President of the Philippines on January 20, 2001. 

I joined calls for the resignation of Erap, myself being a member of Lakas-NUCD, the party of former President Fidel Ramos and Vice President Arroyo.  It was based on the alleged receiving of Estrada of P220 million in jueteng money and P70 million excise tax on cigarettes.  It was also the call of our party and the Catholics Bishop Conference (CBCP) and likewise of former President Cory Aquino. 

We worked for Gloria from the time she campaigned as Senator then as Vice President.  My brother Milko was the coordinator of the group Kaibigan ni Gloria Macapagal Arroyo or KGMA in Southern Leyte.

When Gloria was President, we enjoyed closeness to Malacañang, being partymates.  Projects poured to Southern Leyte and Maasin City.  Although it was Estrada who signed the cityhood law of Maasin and then San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada helped follow up the cityhood in the Palace, but we had to part ways with the short-lived Erap presidency for the sake of our constituents.    

Then came the 2010 presidential elections when our group supported the Lakas-Kampi official candidate Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, the former Secretary of Defense.  Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III was the Liberal Party bet.  Because of Cory’s death due to colon cancer Noynoy’s popularity soared high and this brought him to Malacañang.

We could not even let Gibo win in Maasin City and Southern Leyte as most of our people voted for Noynoy.  He was the darling of the media at that time welding so much influence on our TV viewing constituents.  

But the Cory spirit was still inside of me as EDSA People Power was the true symbol of the restoration of democracy.  In the spirit of EDSA unity we supported the administration of President Aquino as the leader of this nation.