REQUINA, CHAYNE ALTHEA M.

FEBRUARY 7, 2023
BSMLS-A2

GEN004: Readings in the Philippine History

Student Activity Sheet #27

Activity 1: Pretest
Opposition to Martial Law
Reformist Revolutionary Religious
Opposition Opposition Opposition

Who were they? Upper middle class Rebels from NPA Catholic Church,
and MNLF protestant, and other
religious sectors.

To protest the
They witnessed how
Why did they They wanted political escalating breaches
the poor were
oppose? reforms in the of human rights and
affected by Martial
country the devastating state
Law.
of the economy
under Marcos.

How did they Holding mass protest

oppose? Using nonviolent actions, held boycott
tactics, they War campaigns for the
advocated political April plebiscite and
reforms. June presidential
elections.

Activity 2: Hook Activity

1 1. Declaration of Martial Law

3 2. Death of Ninoy Aquino
2 3. Ratification of the 1973 Constitution
5 4. EDSA People Power
4 5. Snap Elections

Activity 4: Practice Exercises

1. Why did Marcos call for a snap election?

➢ In 1986, as popular unrest and anti-government rallies grew, Ferdinand Marcos, the
previous president of the Philippines, called for an early election as a means of
preserving his hold on power. It was widely believed that the sudden election was an
REQUINA, CHAYNE ALTHEA M. FEBRUARY 7, 2023
BSMLS-A2

effort to solidify his control and intimidate his opponents. The widespread
accusations of fraud that plagued the election, however, ultimately sparked the
People Power Revolution that toppled Marcos' government.

2. How did the snap elections fail?

➢ Massive poll fraud and rampant cheating marred the vote on the day of the elections,
February 7, 1986. Thousands of registered voters—who had voted successfully in
previous elections—found their names suspiciously missing from the lists.
Approximately 850 foreign correspondents flew in to observe, including delegations
headed by U.S. senators and congressmen, who saw vote rigging happen.
Widespread claims of fraud, a lack of credibility, public unrest, and international
pressure were the final driving forces behind the People Power Revolution that
brought an end to the Marcos government and restored democracy in the
Philippines.

3. What was the goal of the supposed coup planned by the RAM?

➢ The Reform and the Armed Forces Movement emerged in 1982 as a small, secret
group. Its intention is to strengthen military rule through a coup d’état. RAM sought to
detain the Marcoses in order to abolish their rule of government. It was composed of
Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and a handful of regular officers from the
Philippine Military Academy. A number of Scout Rangers and Army companies, as
well as several Palace insiders strategically positioned and given very particular,
although limited, missions, were all part of the highly ambitious infiltration plan that
allowed the invading group to penetrate the Marcoses' private quarters. The goal
was to "persuade" the civilian and military leadership to resign. Following this, the
reformists planned to create a revolutionary government and assemble a military
tribunal to trial some senior military figures for crimes against the Filipino people.

4. Why was the EDSA People Power considered a peaceful revolution?

➢ EDSA People Power was considered a peaceful revolution as soldiers are being
coaxed with food, prayers, flowers, and cheers by people from all walks of life. These
people sat, stood, and knelt in prayer in front of the tanks. A significant turning point
in Philippine history, the EDSA protests of 1986 radiated an air of boundless hope
and potential. Without even a lot of bloodshed, it was capable of changing Philippine
history. Additionally, it serves as a lesson learned and a caution for future conflicts
for people with democratic aspirations.
REQUINA, CHAYNE ALTHEA M. FEBRUARY 7, 2023
BSMLS-A2

Activity 5: Guided Practice

Opposition to There were three paramount types of opposition to martial law

Martial Law in the during the 1970s. The reformist opposition, revolutionary
1970s opposition, and religious opposition. During the Marcos era,
they expressed widespread anti-Marcos viewpoints.

Marcos mishandled the economy as a consequence. Having

Marcos’ Health and the lost the ability to administer correctly, he assigned his "cronies"
Issue of Succession to run the country economically. The economic impact of its
outcome was terrible because most of the cronies put their
own objectives ahead of the country's economy.

The Collapse of the It resulted in the middle class and small-time landowners and
Philippine Economy farmers in the Marcos administration's regional areas
continuing to lose their support. The wealthiest individuals in
the population accumulated a disproportionate amount of the
profit from Marcos' three-pronged development, leading to a
significant gap between the rich and the poor. To put it another
way, people were drawn to the opposition's stance after seeing
that Marcos was negatively impacting their lives more and
more.
The Assassination of
Ninoy Aquino Because Ferdinand was seriously ill at the time of the murder
and his allies ran the country while he was gone, the
assassination exposed the Marcos administration's growing
incompetence. It led to Marcos's falling appeal. Aquino's
supporters were furious that Marcos not only permitted the
assassination to happen but also planned its cover-up.

This led to the opposition’s indignation rally in Luneta. The next

The Failure of the Snap day, Cory Aquino spoke to around two million people in
Election of 1986 Luneta. It caused a number of social movements, as well as
countries, to recognize the Marcos dictatorship's validity.

Enrile and Ramos left the Marcos administration after the coup
Coup Plot by the RAM collapsed. This caused the military to split and change sides.
Marcos' administration ended when he lost total control of the
military.
REQUINA, CHAYNE ALTHEA M. FEBRUARY 7, 2023
BSMLS-A2

Activity 6: Windshield Check

3 1. Snap elections of 1986

2 2. Cory Aquino announced her intention to run
7 3. Jaime Cardinal Sin asked the people to protect Ramos and Enrile
5 4. RAM Coup de etat
9 5. Corazon C. Aquino and Salvador H. Laurel took their oaths as President and Vice President
respectively
6 6. Ramos and Enrile's defection from the military
8 7. Four-day EDSA People Power Revolution
10 8. Marcos forced to leave the country.
4 9. Batasang Pambansa proclaimed Marcos and Arturo Tolentino as the winners.
1 10. President Marcos stated his intention to call for snap election.