Taking a Gamble On Freedom
The People Power Revolution
I was blessed to be raised in a nation that was founded upon the pillars of freedom and democracy, so blessed that I often take it for granted. I find it difficult to imagine what it’s like to live in a nation where I have no freedom, where one person holds all the power. Living in the United States, I was introduced to the idea of democracy at a young age and I was taught that this was the land of the free. Living in such a nation, I considered myself lucky, but the older I grew, I learned that democracy does not happen by chance; it is something that people fight and die for.
My first encounter with the fight for democracy was through the stories of the People Power Revolution which broke out on April 22, 1986 in the Philippines where over two million Filipinos rallied in a non-violent protest against President Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos, elected in 1965, declared martial law in 1972 by using a form of shock therapy. He justified his declaration of martial law with events such as the attempted assassination of the then defense secretary Juan Ponce Enrile and the communist threat in the Philippines.
The era of martial law consisted of the imprisonment of Marcos’ political opponents and dissidents, and the enforcement of curfew hours. During this time group assemblies were outlawed and media was limited and controlled.Those who spoke against the Marcos regime were not only jailed, but often tortured and raped. Nearly 70,000 civilians and politicians were arrested. Citizens lost their most basic rights and all power was held by Marcos.
Martial law was lifted nearly a decade later in 1981, but democracy was not restored. In 1983, Ninoy Aquino, a longtime political opponent of Marcos, was killed in an assassination ordered by the president himself. This rallied thousands of Filipinos together and escalated the movement into a national campaign, but what finally triggered the People Power Revolution and led to the downfall of the Marcos regime was the Snap Elections of 1986 between Ferdinand Marcos and Cory Aquino, the widowed wife of Ninoy. Marcos rigged the votes and deemed himself president, but Filipinos stood behind Aquino. When the revolution broke out, nuns and priests were on the forefront offering food and flowers to soldiers. The nation came together in the fight against Marcos. “I was there with my wife and my daughter taking a gamble on freedom,” said Jose Dalisay, a popular novelist in the Philippines. On April 25, 1986 Marcos fled to the US and Aquino held presidency in the Philippines bringing an end to the authoritarian regime.
In the eyes of the masses the revolution only lasted four days, but in reality it took years to plan and execute. I learned that many gave up their lives and their youth to restore democracy. Students left their homes in order to plan and orchestrate this revolution. They would go deep into the provinces, not returning to their homes for months, to educate the masses about the authoritarian regime in place, in hopes of overthrowing the dictatorship. Some would never return from this battle for democracy.
Among the people that were fighting for freedom were my parents, aunts, uncles and family friends. When I hear their stories it saddens me, but also empowers me. It saddens me that so many of them gave up their youth to fight for freedoms that should naturally be theirs, that they had far more worries at the age of sixteen than I’ll ever have at the age of twenty, that they faced so many horrors at such a young age; but I’m also left in a state of awe. Through these stories I’ve learned that the youth is much more capable than we think. That in times of chaos, the only thing we can do is act. My generation, this new generation, although young, can warrant change in these times of oppression and injustice.
The stories I’ve heard taught me that freedom must be fought for, but can be taken away within a blink of an eye. Such is the current state of the United States, where Trump continues to praise human rights abuses and express admiration for dictators. His misogynistic and racist remarks bring more power to white males and destroy the progress that took decades to build. The issue of gun violence is more prevalent than ever, killing hundreds of our youth. His presidency has created a divide within our nation that gives way to the rise of racism and inequality and it’s our job to come together.
Not once in my life did I think that I would have to fight for freedom, but the stories I’ve heard have proven me wrong. I look to the generation before me with reverence for their ability to make history. Now, it’s our turn.
