Miracle at EDSA

Two generations do not know much about 1986 EDSA event except that February 25 is a holiday. In 1985 the President said there will be a “snap” Presidential election in 1986 though his term will not end in 1986 but 1987. The first sign of trouble was when the civilian employees under the National Computer Commission who were counting the election returns in the P.I.C.C led by their chief, Mrs. Linda Angeles Kapunan (sister of the Yellow Fin Restaurant owner) walked out, before the counting could be finished. While the NAMFREL (National Movement for free Election) counting show Cory Aquino was leading, the election results given to the N.C.C employees for public information show Cory Aquino was losing. Mrs. Linda Angeles Kapunan said that she accidentally saw two top officials holding computer disk in a room. She was stunned because all the disks covering all the results were already with her staff and being counted. She called her staff, told them what she saw and asked what they should do. All said “Walk out”. So they did.

The Second sign was when RAM (Reform Army Movement) Cagayan province Battalion Commander, Major Aromin (his wife, a nurse, was my cousin) and P.S.C. Captain Gonzales from Calinan (also RAM) were arrested inside Malacanang. These were the 2 soldiers are shown in TV every February 25.

The third sign was when the late Trade Secretary Roberto Ongpin called defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile informing him that, in his early morning running, his secretary team was arrested. Enrile called P.C. Chief Fidel Ramos who said they meet in Camp Aguinaldo right away. This is the T.V. clip you see when Enrile, Ramos, Col. Gringo Honasan, RAM and P.C. soldiers in the crowded office of Enrile during a hurriedly called a Press Conference.

The First Miracle was that Enrile called Cardinal Sin to explain what happened and asked for help. Cardinal Sin immediately announced on Radio Veritas the situation and asked the people to go to EDSA to protect Enrile and Ramos who were in Camp Aguinaldo. There were very few people on the first day. By the third day EDSA was jammed.

The other miracles happened in other places. First, soldiers in Barrio Libis (behind Aguinaldo) wanted to enter the Camp but people power including Ateneo teachers, high school and college students locked arms forming a line that stopped the soldiers. This gave the Enrile-Ramos group time to cross EDSA and the entire Camp Crame. Hours later the soldiers again marched to enter Camp Aguinaldo. This time, elders and seniors asked the locked arms to line to let the soldiers through to avoid harm. Many especially the youth were crying when they reluctantly dropped their locked arms. The soldiers now controlled Camp Aguinaldo. No one was shot, neither hurt nor arrested.

Second, the 105mm howitzer cannons zeroed in Camp Crame filled with the Ramos-Enrile group. Miracously, the cannons did not fire because the gunnery officers repeatedly asked for time claiming they need to calibrate their gun bearings, angles, line etc.

Third, tanks and rangers from Camp Bonifacio (Now Bonifacio Globality) were rushing to attack Crame. The people on both sides of EDSA were terrified, shocked and could not move. Suddenly somewhere along the EDSA shrine, a tiny nun, followed by a few more nuns crossed EDSA, faced the tanks, knelt on the ground and saved their rosary and prayed. The tanks stopped. Seconds later, the people surrounded the tanks and trucks filled with soldiers, raised their rosaries, religious banners, statues of Sta. Maria, Sto. Niño, Holy Family, pictures of saints, and begged the soldiers not to continue.

After minutes which seemed like seconds, the military force returned to Camp Bonifacio. A bloody war did not happen. All the while, the priests, nuns, seminarians, postulants, the people kept praying for almost 5 days. God heard, God answered in his own way and in his own time. Thy will be done.