Pacete: The EDSA Gaudery

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

WHAT eventuated at EDSA? Was it an act of God? Was there an intifada? Did the military rebels stage a coup d’état? Was it a miracle? Did Uncle Sam utilize CIA for the show?

February 25, 1986. I was about to receive seven trophies for the official school paper of Dona Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School, ‘The Warbler’, as the Second Most Outstanding School Publication in the Philippines. It was about 9:00 p.m. The venue of the Awards Ceremony was Barotac Nuevo National High School Gymnasium, Iloilo. The emcee cautioned me to stop for an official announcement, “We would like to inform you that the dictator, Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos, and his family were transported by four American helicopters from Malacanang Park to Clark Air Base. They will have stop over at Guam before flying to their Hawaiian exile.

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There was sudden catouse in the audience. Some clapped their hands while others were shouting on top of their voice. There was carousal. There was rollicking among the delegations from all regions of the country attending the National Schools Press Conference. I received many hugs on stage from the most beautiful and not-so-beautiful people. Everybody was happy except the Ilocano delegation that remained seated to show sympathy to ‘Malakas and Maganda’.

That was the end of Marcos Rule and the beginning of New Uncertainty. Corazon Cojuanco Aquino became the seventh president of the Philippine Republic. Marcos was gone. He was our president from December 30, 1965 up to February 25, 1986. He left us political – economic – physical pains… government over-spending, unprecedented extent of graft and corruption (according to Transparency International Marcos was the second most corrupt head of state in the whole world in the past two decades, having allegedly embezzled an estimated 5 to 10 billion US dollars while in power);

As president, he appointed relatives and close friends to power seats in the government (a Negrense was named the ‘Sugar Czar’); practiced crony capitalism; committed human rights violations to the highest degree; created widespread poverty, social inequity and rural stagnation; triggered violent student activism; perked up Agrarian unrest in Luzon; and caused labor unrest. All of these have been documented by my favorite historian, Christine L. Diaz (not related to my wife, Roselyn D. Diaz).

After 26 years, we are still here making anamnesis of EDSA that at times we make ourselves funny for not knowing what become of the Filipinos after kicking out the dictator. I don’t want to deal on the merits of EDSA. I want to recall the characters who are protagonists and antagonists. EDSA was a long stretch of stage. Imelda Marcos was at the balcony of Malacanang Palace singing her last rendition of ‘Dahil Sa ’Yo’. Bongbong Marcos was in fatigue uniform. Her sisters Irene and Imee were there smiling for their loyalists after the unfinished breakfast. Pres. Ferdinand Marcos was standing motionless. He could not believe that Sen. Paul Laxalt of USA would tell him, “To cut, and cut clearly.”

Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, Marcos think-tank who staged the ‘ambush me’ drama to quality Marcos declaration of Martial Law on Sept. 21, 1972, is now the Senate President and presiding judge of the Impeachment Court. Armed Forces Vice of Staff, Fidel Ramos, became Pres. Cory C. Aquino’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff. Ramos became president of the Phil. (June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1998). He believed that he created ‘tiger economies’ for the country. It was during his presidency that Flor Contemplacion had death sentence (by hanging) in Singapore. Enrile and Ramos made a withdrawal of support from the government of their Boss Marcos.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Fabian Ver, was the ‘Yes Man’ of Marcos. He would do anything for Marcos… even to jump from the eleventh floor of the building. Jaime Cardinal Sin, archbishop of Manila and best friend of Cory Aquino, aired his message over Radio Veritas that the people should support the military rebels. Col. Gregorio ‘Gringo’ Honasan, the close-in man of Enrile, was acting like a stunt man in a blockbuster movie. He is now a senator. Artemio Tadiar, commanding general of the Marines, threatened to fire with his tanks but he was softened by the priests and the nuns who offered flowers and recited the rosary.

My favorite character is Antonio Sotelo, who got 7 helicopter gunships of the 15th Air Force Strike Wing. He landed in Crame and defected to the side of the rebels. Mariano Santiago, a retired colonel, took over government – owned Channel 4. He called it later as the ‘People’s Television’. Of course, we don’t forget Sen. Benigno C. Aquino, the man who ‘would be president’. His death at the tarmac manifested the end of the ‘Marcosian Era’.

The ‘Drama at EDSA’ (Feb. 22 – 25, 1986) presented a modern and polished version of the action, adventure and cliff – hanger thrills. Here we see the soldiers of the Filipino people transformed from reluctant followers into avenging angels. The drama was an absolute classic of its kind. We all acted there and here!