03/12/2024
#๐๐จ๐๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ณ๐จ๐ง ๐. ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ง๐จ, ๐ฐ๐ข๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ง๐จ โ๐๐ข๐ง๐จ๐ฒโ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ง๐จ ๐๐ซ., ๐๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐
๐๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐. ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ.
It was on 21 August 1983, when Ninoy Aquino returned to the Philippines from exile in the United States. Despite the risk to his life, Aquino believed that his return could persuade Ferdinand Marcos Sr. to step down from power or galvanize the opposition against the Marcos dictatorship. However, upon his arrival, he was assassinated on the tarmac of the Manila International Airport (later renamed in his honor), shocking the nation and sparking widespread outrage. This single event became a rallying cry for the burgeoning anti-Marcos movement, igniting protests and intensifying calls for reform.
By 1985, domestic discontent had reached a boiling point, fueled by economic decline, human rights abuses, and corruption under the Marcos administration. International pressure, particularly from the United States, a long-time ally of Marcos, further weakened his position. Seeking to project confidence and counter growing dissent, Marcos appeared on the David Brinkley Show on 4 November 1985, where he unexpectedly announced a snap election to prove his legitimacy and silence his critics.
Just days before Marcosโ announcement, Corazon Aquino, the widow of Ninoy, had been asked if she would consider running for president. Reluctant at first, she declared she might run if the Filipino people expressed their support. Her candidacy gained momentum as a wave of public endorsements culminated in 1,200 opposition leaders signing a manifesto urging her to lead the anti-Marcos coalition. On 1 December 1985, Aquino officially accepted the nomination.
The political climate intensified the following day, 2 December 1985, when Marcosโ ally, General Fabian Ver, and 26 others accused in the Ninoy Aquino assassination case were acquitted. Just three hours after the controversial verdict, Marcos reinstated Ver as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, further enraging the opposition. That same day, Cory Aquino confirmed her presidential run and invited Salvador Laurel, who had initially planned his own candidacy, to join her as vice-presidential candidate. Laurel, after much deliberation, agreed to unite the opposition behind Aquino.
On 3 December 1985, the duo officially filed their certificates of candidacy, symbolizing a united front against the Marcos regime. The Snap Election on 7 February 1986 was marred by widespread violence and allegations of fraud. On election day itself, international observers reported blatant irregularities, including vote-buying, intimidation, and tampering with results. Despite Marcos being officially declared the winner, the opposition contested the results, accusing the regime of massive electoral fraud.
This ignited a chain of events that culminated in the historic EDSA People Power Revolution from 21 to 25 February 1986. A failed military coup attempt by reformist soldiers led to mass civilian protests that shielded the defectors from retaliation. Over four days, millions of Filipinos gathered along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), calling for Marcos to step down. Their peaceful demonstration captured the worldโs attention, becoming a symbol of nonviolent resistance. On 25 February 1986, Ferdinand Marcos fled into exile, and Corazon Aquino was sworn in as the 11th President of the Philippines, and the first woman to be elected to the position.
This transformative period in Philippine history underscored the power of unity, the resilience of democracy, and the enduring legacy of peopleโs movements in shaping the nationโs future.
