EDSA DAY 4: February 25, 1986
EDSA People Power revolution timeline: Day 4
Midnight
Marcos loyalist soldiers fire through barbed wire, injuring a number of people on Nagtahan Street. Some of Marcoses’ belongings are taken out of Malacañang.
3:30 a.m.
Marines rejoice as orders to attack Camp Crame are canceled.
3:45 a.m.
Reinforcements on board planes ordered by Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Fabian Ver head for Clark Air Base, where they stay for the duration of the revolt.
5 a.m.
On phone to Washington, President Marcos asks US Sen. Paul Laxalt if he should resign. Laxalt’s reply: “I think you should cut, and cut cleanly. The time has come.”
Marcos tells Labor Minister Blas Ople who’s lobbying in Washington for the Marcos regime, he is not stepping down because First Lady Imelda Marcos does not want him to.
5:30 a.m.
Marcos himself gives go-signal for his family to prepare to leave.
6 a.m.
Rebel soldiers storm Channel 9’s transmitter tower, which is being held by loyalist troops. Sounds of gun battle are heard at Aquino residence on Times Street, Quezon City, where Corazon Aquino and her children are.
8 a.m.
People are called to guard Club Filipino in San Juan in case Marcos attempts to disrupt Aquino’s inauguration as President.
10:15 a.m.
Aquino arrives at Club Filipino. Opposition lawyer Neptali Gonzales reads resolution proclaiming her and former Sen. Salvador Laurel as duly elected President and Vice President, respectively.
10:46 a.m.
Aquino is sworn into office by Senior Justice Claudio Teehankee.
Assembled crowd breaks into protest song “Bayan Ko.” AFP Vice Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile join singing with hands raised in Laban “L” sign.
11:45 a.m.
Marcos enters Malacañang’s Ceremonial Hall for his inauguration.
11:55 a.m.
As Marcos raises his hand to take his oath, live coverage is abruptly ended with perfect shot fired at transmitter simultaneously shutting down Channels 2, 9 and 13.
Chief Justice Ramon Aquino is called back for reenactment of swearing-in before movie cameras.
Marcoses proceed to balcony and wave at some 2,500 people assembled below. Crowd cheers: “Martial law! Martial law!”
3:45 p.m.
Loyalist soldiers try to ram through barricades set up at Tomas Morato/Timog junction in Quezon City, but “people power” prevails.
On Nagtahan, pro-Aquino groups and loyalists coming from Marcos’ inauguration clash.
4:30 p.m.
Imee Marcos’ husband Tommy Manotoc relays offer of US Brig. Gen. Ted Allen to use American helicopters or boats to move Marcos from Palace.
5 p.m.
Marcos calls Enrile again to coordinate his departure from Malacañang.
His aides start packing not only clothes and books but also boxes of money stored in his bedroom since start of election campaign.
Prime Minister Cesar Virata negotiates Marcos’ departure with Aquino.
6:30 p.m.
Imee and Irene Marcos plead with their father to leave Malacañang after he tells his remaining men that he has decided to die there.
7 p.m.
US Ambassador Stephen Bosworth asks Aquino if Marcos can be allowed two days in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, before heading abroad. To prevent possible regrouping of Marcos loyalists, Aquino refuses.
In Malacañang, pieces of luggage are loaded on boats, which proceed to Pangarap golf course where US helicopters are to collect Marcoses.
7:30 p.m.
Families of Ver and Eduardo Cojuangco motor to Clark Air Base in Pampanga.
8:40 p.m.
Convoy of heavily secured vehicles make beeline for Clark.
8:45 p.m.
Marcoses and other government officials board helicopters, some of their possessions loaded along with them.
9:05 p.m.
First of helicopters leaves Palace grounds. Shortly, crowd near Malacañang rejoices over reports that Marcoses had left.
9:45 p.m.
Marcos lands in Clark and is met by Bosworth. People in the area mark his arrival with chants of “Cory! Cory!”
9:52 p.m.
Radio dzRH announces: “The Marcoses have fled the country.”
10 p.m.
US Air Force TV station FEN confirms Marcos’ departure.
11:30 p.m.
People wrench Palace gates open. Marcos loyalists inside Malacañang escape in all directions, with members of Palace household and security men jumping into murky Pasig River to flee angry crowd.
Looters and vandals enter Malacañang. Ramos’ men move in to secure premises.
Officials who withdrew support from Marcos: Brig. Gen. Felix Brawner of elite First Scout Ranger Brigade; Brig. Gen. Carlos Martel, Special Mission Wing of Air Force.
Sources: “Chronology of a Revolution” by Angela Stuart Santiago, “Walang Himala: Himagsikan sa Edsa” by Angela Stuart Santiago, “The Quartet Tiger Moon” by Quijano de Manila, “People Power: The Philippine Revolution of 1986,” “Bayan Ko,” and PDI archives
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
