Thread by @indiohistorian

#TodayinHistory in 1986, after #EDSA in February, a group of military Marcos loyalists led by Arturo Tolentino occupied Manila Hotel demanding President Corazon Aquino's resignation. Tolentino proclaimed himself "acting President" on Marcos' behalf. (THREAD) #PH #history

Context: In Snap Election 1986, 2 contending parties competed: Ferdinand Marcos & Arturo Tolentino (Pres & VP respectively), and Corazon Aquino & Salvador Laurel (Pres & VP respectively). COMELEC proclaimed Marcos win despite evidences of electoral fraud. tmblr.co/ZtGCUx21nw1Qn

The #EDSA #PeoplePower Revolution of 1986, brought about by Snap Election fraud and the subsequent millions of civilians forming barricades to protect defected military leaders Fidel V. Ramos and Juan Ponce Enrile, ousted Ferdinand Marcos from power.

https://twitter.com/indiohistorian/status/1232116867340361728?s=20

At the time, Corazon C. Aquino assumed power as #PH President, as the Marcos family fled to Hawaii. Aquino issued Proclamation No. 3, (Freedom Constitution) as a provisional constitution until a constitution is drafted & properly ratified by the People. officialgazette.gov.ph/1986/03/25/pro…

Just 5 months after #EDSA, at 3pm, in the usual Marcos loyalist rally in Luneta, Arturo Tolentino declares himself as Acting President, as Marcos' VP. All of a sudden, around 300 fully-armed soldiers, all loyal to Marcos, mingled w/ the crowd. They began occupying Manila Hotel.

Tolentino further explains that he is only acting on Marcos' orders. Enrile & Ramos, however, quickly reaffirmed loyalty to the gov. At the time, Pres. Aquino was in Cagayan de Oro while VP Laurel was on an official visit to Spain. The resistance in the hotel would last 37 hours.

Upon seeing that the public did not support him, w/ the AFP having the hotel surrounded, Tolentino & rebel troops surrendered on 8 July, 3 days after. This would be the 1st of the 7 coup attempts to challenge the C. Aquino government.

📓: Historical Atlas of the Republic (2016)

While the C. Aquino admin have had clearly wrong decisions made (Mendiola incident, among others), it could be credited for assuring a peaceful transition of power from one administration to the next, in 1992—the first the Philippines had after 2 decades of #Marcos #dictatorship.

National Artist for Literature, #NickJoaquin on Filipinos' aggregate achievement via #EDSA 1986:

"...we had decided we were to have a future again, and that we didn't have to resign ourselves to a numbing prospect of one damnable Marcos after another."

https://twitter.com/indiohistorian/status/1232318613891121157?s=20

Photos:

- Presidential Museum & Library 2010-2016
- Map from the Historical Atlas of the Republic (2016)
- Editorial Cartoon by E.Z. Izon of the Philippines Free Press, 1987 and 1992

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