February 22 - 25, this year, 2026, is the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution of February 22 - 25, 1986. The 22nd was a Saturday. The 25th was a Tuesday. The following is my recollection of events from where I stood.
TODAY
On Friday, February 21, I brought my wife, Baby to the Cory Media Bureau, then I went about my political work. Just before banking hours ended, I went to my BPI bank branch on P. Tuazon, Cubao, Q. C. and withdrew my entire cash deposit. From there, I picked up Baby in Makati and proceeded to Cash & Carry on Buendia corner South Superhighway. We bought several cases of canned goods: corned beef, luncheon meat, sardines, etc ... Then, we went home and we slept early.
On Saturday, Feb 22, I kept on sleeping. My Ateneo batch GS 62/HS 66/Coll 70 had a class reunion scheduled for that night at my residence in New Manila. Meanwhile, both the RAM and the Marcos counter coup forces were starting to move. During the day I had two visitors who were familiar with the military. One told me about Minister Bobby Ongpin's security's close call. The other told me that some troops in Ft. Bonifacio were in a state of tension.
Between 5 and 6 pm, my classmate, nephrologist, Dr. Robbie Ingles (the son of Hunters ROTC guerilla leader Gustavo “Tabo” Ingles), knocked on my bedroom window, roused me from bed and relayed to me the latest news from Radio Veritas, 846 Khz AM – that a press conference was ongoing at the Department of National Defense but Radio Veritas was having some difficulty in hooking up for a live broadcast..
I drove out to EDSA and Boni Serrano/Santolan in my purple red 1981 Toyota Cressida sedan. At the corner there was a single M60 bipod mounted machinegun with a two - man crew of PC (Philippine Constabulary) soldiers. I belonged to the ATOM (August 21 Movement) VHF radio network. I made a situation report and asked if anybody was near Ft. Bonifacio. Most of my ATOM friends were in a birthday party in Pasay City. My father - in - law, Deputy Chief Philippine Constabulary for Police Matters, Brig. Gen. Hermilo N. Ahorro, was playing tennis at Camp Crame and was out of touch.
I went back home and called Brig. Gen. Ramon Montano, who was then the chief of the PC CANU or CIS, at his residence in Ft. Bonifacio. He had just returned from watching a movie with his family. Meanwhile, Archbishop of Manila Jaime Cardinal Sin was calling over Radio Veritas on the faithful to support Secretary of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile and AFP Vice Chief of Staff/PC Chief/INP Director General Fidel V. Ramos. Meanwhile ATOM's Butz Aquino called for people to assemble at Isetan, Cubao, and march to EDSA between Camps Aguinaldo and Crame.
I mobilized my classmates who had arrived at home to go to Isetan. We drove there and later to EDSA. On the wall of Camp Crame was hung the banner of my 1970 organization, “KASAPI”. Meanwhile, I heard over our VHF radio network that a convoy of Philippine Marine trucks was in Mandaluyong heading north. Among those who reacted and gave chase were future QC 3rd district Congresswoman (1987 – 1992) and Senator (1992 – 2001) Nikki Coseteng and me in separate cars. We caught up with two convoys composed of two Land Rovers and about twenty 6 x 6 two and a half ton trucks. We dropped out at Libis while the Marines went into Camp Aguinaldo via a Santolan gate.
The civilian crowd that had initially stretched along the short length of the Camp Crame wall along EDSA, from Santolan to Annapolis, was stretching out in all directions. Northward, it reached P. Tuazon St. Southward, it reached Ortigas Avenue. On Santolan, eastward, it reached Libis along then, E. Rodriguez Ave., now C 5. Westward, it reached Horeshoe Village at Benitez St.
Early morning of Sunday, February 23, the PC Provincial Commander of Tarlac and his men blew up the Radio Veritas AM radio transmitter located in Malolos, Bulacan. Radio Veritas had an old transmitter located in Fairview, Q. C. which it used as a back - up. However, it was weak and could not last too long.
Fortunately, the AM radio station with the next frequency on the AM band to Radio Veritas’s 846 Khz, at 810 Khz AM, was DZRJ of Rajah Broadcasting Network. It belonged to the Jacinto family and had been sequestered by the Marcos Martial Law Administration in September 1972. The military administrators assigned to run it were aligned with Secretary Enrile and the RAM. Fr. James Reuter, S. J. and Jun Keightley took over its programming and dubbed it “Radio Bandido”. Its transmitter was located at the Jacinto Steel compound along Quirino Ave., Novaliches, Q. C. This is not too far away from the Radio Veritas studios in North Fairview. Thus, two factors, frequencies and physical location served to confuse the enemy. DZRJ’s studios were then located in Sta. Mesa, on Ramon Magsaysay Blvd., corner Santol Street.
The Philippine Marines had reinforced AFP GHQ in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo and sent LVTP 5’s armed with 105 mm turret mounted howitzers. Our group had been assigned by the opposition political leadership with the task of intersecting the road from Camp Capinpin in Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal to Metro Manila. We were now desperately seeking to acquire anti - tank weapons. We tried all possible sources including the U. S. Embassy. We failed. However, since we had come early on Saturday evening, we were at the corner of EDSA and Santolan and we were already surrounded on all sides by hundreds of thousands of civilians.
The matter of tanks and anti – tank weapons became academic when the commander of C – 141 military aircraft to Hawaii.the rebel side and landed at the Camp Crame parade ground. On Monday night, the 24th, Marcos declared a curfew. Instead of going home in obedience, the crowds as well as ordinary motorists went out in greater numbers.Fear was broken. The credibility of the Marcos administration was zero.
On Tuesday, the 25th, President Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco Aquino and Vice President Salvador “Doy” Hidalgo Laurel, took their respective oaths of office at the Kalayaan Hall of the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan. Later in the afternoon, Marcos and Tolentino took their oaths of office at Malacanang Palace.
That night, USAF helicopters evacuated the Marcos family, some cronies and loyal officials with their baggage and some treasures to Clark Air Base. The next day, they were flown by C – 141 transport aircraft to exile in Hawaii.
The night before, we had gone to Malacanang along J. P. Laurel St. but did not enter the grounds. Mobs were running riot inside and outside. The next morning, the 26th, we went to the Cojuangco building in Legaspi Village in Makati. President Cory would hold office at the top floor for several days while Malacanang Palace was being cleared and cleaned.
TOMORROW
Baby would work in the Presidential Protocol Office until November 1989. I would be appointed as Acting Assistant Director of the Bureau of Telecommunications, Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission.
YESTERDAY
My wife, Maria Fe "Baby" Ahorro Alcuaz, and I, Jose Luis "Linggoy" Alcuaz y Araneta, were both 38 years old. We were baby boomers. We were moderate activists of the late sixties. We were aligned with Senator Raul S. Manglapus and the FFF (Federation of Free Farmers) founder, Atty. Jeremias Montemayor, as well as the moderate labor federations: FFW ((Federation of Free Workers), PAFLU (Philippine Association of Free Labor Unions) and PHILCONTU (Philippine Congress of Trade Unions).
The Jesuits (Fr. Jose Blanco, S. J.), Ateneo de Manila University (Prof. Rolando Quintos) and the FFF (ex-SVD Society of the Divine Word Charles R. Avila) had recruited and trained us from our freshman year in college in 1966 until our senior year in 1970. Baby had studied at Ft. Bonifacio Elementary School, St. Paul College Quezon City Grade School and High School and Maryknoll College. I had studied at the Ateneo de Manila University from grade one to senior year college.
After lying low politically and trying to raise a family of four and earning a living from September 1972 up to April 1978, we had gradually resumed our activism in our pre martial law organization, KASAPI (Kapulungan ng mga Sandigan ng Pilipinas) among moderate, Christian Democrat, Popular Democrat, Social Democrat and Democratic Socialist organizations and alliances. At times and on a "case to case" basis, we worked with radical, National Democrats.
I had stopped working for a living or doing business in mid - 1981. We had become close to Mayor/Assemblyman Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel, Jr. and helped him organize the PDP (Partido Demokratiko Pilipino) and had been its Deputy Secretary General for Luzon (February 1982 - March 1985).
Throughout the Martial Law years (officially September 21, 1972 - 1981), I had remained in touch with 1971 Concon Delegate and second (after former Senator Raul S. Manglapus) third force or independent block's candidate for Concon President (the two who were elected and served were former RP Presidents Carlos P. Garcia and Diosdado Macapagal.) Teofisto Guingona, Jr. A year after the founding of the PDP in February of 1982, we worked with him and former Senator Lorenzo Tanada in reviving LABAN (former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" S. Aquino's political party for the April 1978 IBP (Interim Batasan Pambansa) region - wide elections for Assemblymen) and merging it with the PDP.
On November 4, 1985, President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, Sr. announced snap Presidential and Vice - Presidential elections. Under the Transitory Provisions of the 1973 "Viva Voche" Constitution, he had the power to do so. After a brief legal tussle, the elections were set for February 7, 1986. Marcos chose former Nacionalista Party Senator Arturo Tolentino as his running mate. At the last moment with some assistance from the Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin, the Political Opposition united and fielded a slate. UNIDO's former Senator and Assemblyman Salvador "Doy" Laurel gave way to Lakas ng Bayan's Corazon Cojuangco Aquino for President and PDP Laban's Nene Pimentel gave way to Doy Laurel for Vice President.
The campaign period was relatively short at forty - five days, from December 19, 1985, until February 5, 1986. Based on the performance of the candidates, the extent of the campaigns and the crowds at symposia, motorcades and rallies, it was obvious that the opposition had won. However, the administration and the COMELEC cheated. However, the NAMFREL (National Movement for Free Elections), had conducted a parallel count and exposed the cheating and fraud.
On February 11, 1986, former Liberal Party Antique Governor (1971 - ) and May 1984 opposition candidate for assemblyman Atty. Evelio Javier was assassinated in the Antique Provincial Capitol grounds in San Jose de Buenavista. His body was flown to Manila and met and escorted by mammoth crowds of supporters. On Sunday, February 16, 1986, the opposition held a mammoth indignation rally dubbed "Tagumpay ng Bayan" and launched an economic boycott of Marcos crony businesses at the Luneta.
During the snap election campaign, my wife, Baby, was a volunteer in the Cory Media Bureau under Lupita Aquino Kashiwahara based at the Jose Cojuangco and Sons building in Legaspi Village, Makati. I was based in Agapito "Butch" Aquino's Mofire, Inc. office along Aurora Blvd., San Juan, Metro Manila. I was coordinating with various leaders and organizations on how to resist an impending crackdown and suppression on the part of the desperate Marcos administration.
Early in the week of February 16 to 21, I had received mixed signals from a top leader of the RAM (Reform the Armed Forces Movement). Their concept of their planned coup d' eta against the Marcos administration was the classic military putsch. No concept of People Power. They wanted civilians out of the way and considered civilian gatherings as a liability and a risk. Civilian mass actions were good as propaganda. They did not want them at the time and day of their military movements. He put their timeline in terms of the days of the week - MWF and TThSaSu. Up to now, I don’t know what was the actual day of their planned coup.
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