People Power prevails

What started out to be an alarming act of rebellion turned into a "mass protest by prayer" with melodic chanting of "Cory, Cory, Cory!" and countless fingers forming the LABAN or "L" sign. An estimated 2 million people gathered during the peak of the 1986 EDSA revolution, first-ever in world history to be bloodless.

In the morning of February 25, Corazon C. Aquino was inaugurated as President of the Philippines at Club Filipino. Many who stood witness wore yellow, the color of Aquino's campaign for presidency. An hour later, Marcos conducted his own inauguration at Malacañang. Imelda even sang the couple's theme song, "Dahil Sa Iyo", by Malacanang's balcony atop witnessing loyalists.

A large number of demonstrators could not be stopped as they assembled at the barricades along Mendiola, only a hundred meters away from Malacañang.

Finally surrendering to the "insurgency" and giving in to "advice" from the White House in the United Sates, the Marcos family was transported to Clark Air Base at 9 p.m. ultimately heading for Hawaii.

On February 26, 1986, when the news of Marcos' departure reached the people, the crowd of millions rejoiced and danced in the streets. Looting by overly angry protesters occurred in the Palace, but mostly people looked at the place and remembered how they had altered the course of Philippine history.

Many people around the world saw what had happened. Bob Simon, a CBS anchorman, said, "We Americans like to think we taught the Filipinos democracy; well tonight, they are teaching the world."

Cory Aquino finally took the seat of power and restored democracy in a nation that was ravaged by an oppressive 20-year rule of a dictator. Her term ended in 1992.

Ninoy Aquino is revered as an inimitable national hero and modern-day Rizal, who was one of the world's earliest proponents of fighting for freedom through non-violence.