TIMELINE: The events and important people of the 1986 People Power Revolution

Marcos was the president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1989. During his regime, he declared martial law on Sept. 21, 1972, which kept him in power. His rule was marred by corruption and human rights violations.

Corazon Aquino

Aquino was the widow of Marcos critic then-senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. He was assassinated three years before the events of EDSA in 1983. After Ninoy's passing, Aquino became a figurehead of the opposition.

Juan Ponce Enrile

Enrile was one of Marcos' allies who was instrumental in the implementation of martial law. He served as the Secretary of National Defense.

Fidel V. Ramos

Ramos was the Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He was formerly the head of the Philippine Constabulary when Marcos imposed military rule.

Fabian Ver

During the Marcos Sr. administration, Ver was the commanding officer of the AFP. Enrile described him as a "Man of Marcos" through and through, according to the Kahimyang project.

Jaime Cardinal Sin

Sin became the archbishop of Manila two years after martial law was declared. He criticized Marcos' regime and pivotal role during the revolution when he took to the airwaves to call on Filipinos to take to the streets.

June Keithley

Keithley, fondly called "ketley," was an actress and journalist who broadcast information via Radyo Bandido during the EDSA Revolution.

Butz Aquino

Butz was the brother of Ninoy who became one of the founders of the August Twenty-One Movement. He also called the public to gather via Radyo Veritas.

Doy Laurel

Laurel, the son of former president Jose P. Laurel, ran alongside Aquino during the snap elections as her Vice President. 

The First Family

Living in Malacañang with the former president was his First Family: his wife Imelda Marcos and their children, current president Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., Sen. Imee Marcos, and Irene Marcos. The presidential children were 29, 30, and 25, respectively, at the time.

Feb. 7

• The 1986 snap elections were held, with the close race being between Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and Corazon Aquino. Commission on Elections results showed Marcos leading, while NAMFREL showed Aquino ahead.

Feb. 15

• Marcos is declared president with Arturo Tolentino as his Vice President.

Feb. 16

• Around 2 million gather at Quirino Grandstand to protest Marcos' proclamation.
• Cory and her allies launched a civil disobedience campaign.

Feb. 22

• In Dasmariñas Village, Makati, then-defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile and then-press secretary Silvestre Afable and three others plotted a coup against Marcos.
• Col. Gringo Honassan and his commandos planned to break into Malacañang to arrest Marcos and First Lady Imelda, but the details were leaked to General Fabian Ver, who fortified the palace.
• Enrile and Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Fidel V. Ramos turned against Marcos.

• Ver orders to destroy Radyo Veritas, but Singson Brig. Gen Singson did not take any offensive action.
• Jaime Cardinal Sin on Radyo Veritas urged the public to leave their homes and support Enrile and Ramos. The radio station also gave a blow-by-blow account of the siege.
• Some 10,000 marched to Camp Aguinaldo, chanting "Cory!" The numbers rose to 20.000 and 30,000.

Feb. 23

• Thousands were in the streets. Marcos called to have it dispersed, but Brig. Gen Ramon Olivas said it was "beyond the capability of his men."
• Enrile urged Aquino to form her own government as the duly elected president.
• Cardinal Sin implored Marcos' troops not to use weapons or violence. He asked supporters not to abandon Enrile and Ramos.
• Armed men stormed the radio antenna farm of Radio Veritas and destroyed 60KW AM and shortwave transmitters and 16 radio equipment units of radio equipment. The radio now only covered Luzon. Cardinal Sin called Fr. James Reuter to find him transmitters.
• From Magellan Hotel in Cebu City, Aquino held a press conference where she urged people to rally behind Enrile and Ramos and for those in the military to support the people's will. She also asked Marcos to step down.
• By lunch time, there were 300,000 to 400,000 people in the streets.
• Marcos responded to resignation calls: "Certainly I will not resign on the say-so of those who criticize my administration," he said, as per Inquirer. He added that the presence of crowds did not bother him. "If you are going to be frightened by 2,000 civilians, then what is the use of running a government?"
• Enrile left Camp Aguinaldo to join Ramos at Camp Crame.
• Tanks were reportedly rolling in from Guadalupe to Crame. Civilians overtook the tanks and asked for help from buses to form barricades along the Ortigas-EDSA intersection.
• There were about 500,000 people outside rebel camps by mid-afternoon, blocking the Marines.
• Gen. Artemio Tadiar told Gen. Josephus Ramas to ram through the crowds, but the tanks did not move. The soldiers alighted, faced the people who were in tears, holding rosaries.
• Tadiar was still adamant to pass through to get to Enrile, but crowds stopped him. "Uncle Fred" appealed to him over Radio Veritas, but Tadiar said "Hindi pwede! Mamatay tayong lahat dito!"
• Butz Aquino also spoke, saying that the only higher authority they recognize is Ramos as chief of staff and Aquino as commander-in-chief.
• The crowds, dancing and praying, met the tanks. They linked arms until the military men stopped. The people cheered and cried. Some people began to sing, and "People Power" was born, according to DYNASTY.

• As more tanks began to come in, Marcos offered absolute amnesty to rebel troops if they surrendered right away. Enrile asked to stop the tanks, but Marcos said he couldn't do that. He instead said he would ask the commanders not to shoot. Enrile rejected the offer.
• Radyo Veritas signed off the air.
• Ramos formed the New Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Feb. 24

• June Keithley began broadcasting with Radyo Veritas via Radyo Bandido.
• Thousands were camped outside the Philippine Constabulary.
• Keithley said that soldiers are about to leave for Camp Crame. Ramos appealed for more people on the broadcast.
• Marcos accused Enrile and Ramos of wanting to grab power and run a government under a junta. He said they were "guilty of rebellion and inciting to rebellion."
• Tear gas bombs exploded outside Camp Aguinaldo. Loyalists march toward civilians led by priests. The civilians held their ground and sang the national anthem.
• Sikorskys (helicopters) landed in Crame grounds and came out waving white flags, giving the L sign. Col Antonio Soleto defected with the entire 15th Strike Wing of the Air Force.
• Keithley announced that Marcos and his son Bongbong took off from Manila International Airport. She also "falsely" said that Imelda and Ver's wife left Malacañang, leaving Ver alone.
• People rejoiced at the news, celebrating in the streets. However, Marcos appeared on TV at 9 a.m. and declared a state of emergency.

• Marcos lifted the "maximum tolerance" policy. He said broadcast stations shouldn't share news about military operations without going through the Office of Media Affairs.
• Millions took to the streets of EDSA.
• Rebel soldiers attacked Malacanang, but the First Family remained safe. Ver ordered to bomb Crame, but the rebel squadron commander answered.
• The forces of the people secured control over Channel 4.
• Marines were blocked in a stand-off in Libis by students of Ateneo, who refused to budge. At the last minute, priests told the students to give way.

• Batasan members planned to create a new government in Doy Laurel's residence.
• For the first time in almost three years, Bayan Ko, considered an opposition song, played on the government radio.
• Kilusang Bagong Lipunan members signed a proclamation of Aquino and Laurel.
• Aquino spoke at the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency Building: "We have encouraged our freedoms, our rights, and our dignity with much courage and, we thank God, with little blood. I enjoin the people to keep the spirit of peace as we remove the last vestiges of tyranny, to be firm and compassionate. Let us not, now that we have won, descend to the level of the evil forces we have defeated."
• A provisional government was set up.
• Ver and Ramas launched a final "suicide assault" on the rebels.
• Former US president Ronald Reagan publicly urged Marcos to resign. The US endorsed Aquino's provisional government.
• Marcos maintained that he had no intentions of going abroad or resigning, saying he would defend the Palace with the last breath of his life and the last drop of his blood.

Feb. 25

• The family possessions—including gold bullion and bonds, millions of pesos, and artifacts and jewelry, as per Worth Dying For—were being packed in Malacañang.

• Marcos canceled orders to attack Crame with mortars.
• Former US senator Paul Laxalt called Marcos about whether the "transition" was real. Imelda called former First Lady Nancy Reagan to ask what Reagan's message was about.
• According to QUARTET, Marcos asked Laxalt if he should step down. "Mr. President, I'm not bound by diplomatic restraint. I'm only talking for myself. I think you should cut, and cut cleanly. The time has come." Marcos said he was "very very disappointed."
• Imelda did not want to leave, Marcos told Blas Ople, who was in Washington.
• Marcos called off the firing at Crame. His family called on him to leave. Imelda resisted, but later agreed. Son-in-law Tommy Manotoc, husband of Sen. Imee Marcos, called a friend at the US Embassy.
• As Aquino was getting ready for her inauguration at Club Filipino, Times St. was attacked. She told her children to pack.
• Marcos called Enrile, proposing they organize a provisional government where he would stay president until 1987. Enrile declined.
• Aides were preparing for the First Family to travel north.
• Crowds flocked to Club Filipino, chanting "Cory!" as she arrived. She was in a bright yellow linen outfit with cut-work sleeves, diamond earrings, and a black-strap watch.
• At 10:40 a.m., Laurel took his oath of office as VP before Supreme Court Justice Vicente Abad Santos.
• Aquino was sworn in at 10:46 a.m. by Senior Supreme Court Justice Claudio Teehankee.
• The Lord's Prayer was sung, then Bayan Ko. Enrile and Ramos sang along and even raised a Laban sign.
• "It is fitting and proper that if the rights and liberties of our people were taken away at midnight 14 years ago, the people should recover their lost rights and liberties in the full light of day," Cory said, as per Time.
• Aquino appointed Laurel as Prime Minister, Enrile as Defense Minister, and Ramos as Chief of Staff of the New Armed Forces.
• Marcos held his own inauguration in Malacañang. He was sworn in by Chief Justice Ramon Aquino. He wore an elegant barong, while Imelda, Irene, and Imee were in white terno, and Bongbong in a military fatigue uniform. 2,000 attended, cheering "Marcos Pa Rin!"
• Cardinal Sin pledged his support to Aquino's government.
• In Tomas Morato, loyalist soldiers fired at crowds, forcing through the barricades. The people held their ground, forcing loyalists to find their way out of the side streets.
• Malacañang was under siege after a skirmish at Nagtahan.
• Manotoc shared Brig. Gen. Ted Allen's offer of transport to the Marcoses. A Malacañang retelling said Marcos was feverish.
• Between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., Marcos called Enrile to appeal to stop people from firing at the Palace. He said he wanted to evacuate.
• The first family packed their things, accepting the US Embassy's offer of transportation. "Things were in an uproar, all of us running around, grabbing possessions, shouting last-minute instructions, trying to remember admonitions," Marcos aide Col Arturo Aruiza said, as per a Malacañang account.
• At around 9:05 p.m., helicopters carrying the Marcos family and Ver and his sons flew from the Palace.
• Crowds in Mendiola, Nagtahan Bridge, Mandaluyong, and more celebrated after news came that Marcos fled. DZRH was the first to announce the news at 9:52 p.m. There was dancing in the streets, fireworks, and horns honking along EDSA.
• People in Mendiola stormed the Palace gates, leaving civilian Marcos loyalists fleeing.