EDSA DAY 2: February 23, 1986
EDSA People Power revolution timeline: Day 2
Midnight
Thousands heed Jaime Cardinal Sin’s and also Butz’s call over Radio Veritas to gather around Camps Aguinaldo and Crame and protect rebels led by Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, Armed Forces Vice Chief of
Staff Gen. Fidel Ramos and Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM). Metropolitan Command head Maj. Gen. Prospero Olivas tells President Marcos he is incapable of dispersing crowds at Edsa. He also defies Marcos’ order to call Army commander Maj. Gen. Josephus Ramas for reinforcements.
1 a.m.
Marcos presents on government Channel 4 alleged assassin Maj. Saulito Aromin.
1:45 a.m.
Supreme Court Justice Nestor Alampay resigns.
3 a.m.
AFP chief Fabian Ver gathers his men in Fort Bonifacio and appoints Ramas, his protégé, to lead assault on Aguinaldo and Crame.
Enrile urges Aquino to announce her government as duly elected President. Sin goes on air to ask Marcos and Ver not to use violence.
4 a.m.
In Washington, US Secretary of State George Shultz assembles a few of his men, including former Ambassador to the Philippines Michael Armacost, to come up with a firm policy on the Philippines.
5:30 a.m.
Marcos loyalist troops destroy Radio Veritas’ transmitter in Bulacan, limiting its reach to Luzon.
Marine commander Gen. Artemio Tadiar is stunned to learn that Ramas, who has little combat experience, has been assigned to lead attack on rebels. Tadiar and his men are standing guard in Malacañang.
Aquino, still in Cebu, turns down Assemblyman Ramon Mitra’s offer to bring her to Palawan, and decides to return to Manila. Mass is celebrated inside Crame. Outside on Edsa, people continue to
arrive, some on foot. Human barricades are further fortified.
8 a.m.
After waiting for three hours for permission to withdraw his troops from Palace, Tadiar shouts at Ramas: “This is insane! I am still waiting for permission to move troops, yet you are ready to move out!”
Marcos orders Col. Antonio Sotelo, commander of Air Force 15th Strike Wing based at Sangley Point, to disable helicopters in Crame. With no one volunteering to carry out attack, Sotelo discusses with his men plan to fight alongside Enrile-Ramos troops.
11 a.m.
Aquino holds brief press conference in Cebu asking people to support the military rebels and calling on Marcos to step down.
Noon
Marcos men present at the presidential table include Presidential Executive Assistant Juan C. Tuvera, Agrarian Reform Minister Conrado Estrella, Public Works Minister Jesus Hipolito, Food Administrator Jesus Tanchangco, Agriculture Minister Salvador Escudero III, Education Minister Jaime C. Laya, Member of Parliament Teodulo Natividad, Budget Minister Manuel Alba, MP Salvador Britanico, former acting Foreign Minister Pacifico Castro, MIA Manager Luis Tabuena, Isabela Gov. Faustino Dy, Information Minister Gregorio Cendana, Justice Minister Estelito Mendoza, Justice Buenaventura Guerrero, Assistant Press Secretary Amante Bigornia, MP Antonio Raquiza, Economic Planning Minister Vicente Valdepenas, and former Sen. Rodolfo Ganzon. Standing behind them are military men, including General Ver, Rear Admiral Ochoco, Felix Brawner, Carlos Martel, Juanito Veridiano, Hamilton Dimaya, Eustaquio Purugganan, Telesforo Tayko, Serapio Martillano, Pompeyo Vasquez, Victorino Azada, Arsenio Silva, Evaristo Sanches, Emerson Tangan, and Navy Capt. Danilo Lazo. Marcos joins his men at the table and then appears again on television and presents two more arrested officers—Lt. Col. Jake Malajacan and Maj. Ricardo Brillantes who both read statements. Marcos says there are other officers arrested and are being interrogated, scoffs at Enrile and Ramos’ demand for him to resign. He brushes aside claims 300,000 to 400,000 people are gathering at Edsa, some carrying images of the Virgin Mary.
1:30 p.m.
Troops led by Metropolitan Police chief Alfredo Lim ignores orders to disperse crowd.
2:20 p.m.
Aquino arrives in Manila and proceeds to her sister’s house in Wack Wack, Mandaluyong.
Enrile and Ramos decide to consolidate forces at Crame. Linking arms, the people at Edsa create a protective wall for Enrile and RAM troops as they cross over from Aguinaldo.
2:47 p.m.
Car with tinted windows bearing Aquino cruises alongside loyalist column of seven tanks and two Marine battalions led by Tadiar moving on Edsa.
3 p.m.
People at corner of Ortigas and Edsa form human barricades to block path of oncoming tanks. Tense stand-off begins.
4 p.m.
Over phone, Marcos offers Enrile absolute pardon, rejects Enrile’s demand that tanks be stopped.
6:30 p.m.
Radio Veritas signs off after emergency transmitter bogs down. In a news conference, Enrile announces his men’s rejection of Marcos’ offer of pardon. Ramos talks about “New Armed Forces.”
7 p.m.
Papal Nuncio Bruno Torpigliani hands Marcos a letter from Pope John Paul II asking for peaceful resolution of crisis. White House issues a statement questioning “credibility and legitimacy” of Marcos government.
11:30 p.m.
June Keithley, who has been broadcasting at Radio Veritas since start of rebellion, moves to dzRJ facilities using Veritas’ frequency of 840 to keep location a secret. Col. Ruben Ciron, one of Enrile’s men, facilitates transfer of frequency.
Crowd thins as tanks retreat, but human barricades remain intact. Officials who withdraw support from Marcos: Consul to Honolulu Raul Rabe, Lt. Noel Buan, Brigadier Generals Tomas Manlongat, Renato de Villa, Dionisio Tan-Gatue, Carlos Aguilar, Benjamin Ignacio and Rodrigo Gutan, police superintendents Narciso Cabrera, Ruben Escarcha, Alfredo Yson
EDSA PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION CHRONOLOGY:
EDSA DAY 1: February 22, 1986
EDSA DAY 2: February 23, 1986
EDSA DAY 3: February 24, 1986
EDSA DAY 4: February 25, 1986
