1989 Philippine coup attempt

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The most serious coup d'etat against the government of Philippine President Corazon Aquino was staged beginning December 1, 1989 by members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines belonging to the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) and soldiers loyal to former President Ferdinand Marcos. It was completely defeated by the Philippine government by December 9, 1989.

The coup was led by Colonel Gregorio Honasan, General Edgardo Abenina, and retired General Jose Ma. Zumel, and staged by an alliance of the RAM, led by Honasan, and troops loyal to Marcos, led by Zumel.[1] At the onset of the coup, the rebels seized Villamor Airbase, Fort Bonifacio, Sangley Airbase, Mactan Airbase in Cebu, and portions of Camp Aguinaldo.[2] From Sangley Airbase, the rebels launched planes and helicopters which bombarded and strafed Malacañang Palace, Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo.[3] Government forces would recapture all military bases save for Mactan Airbase by December 3, but rebel forces retreating from Fort Bonifacio occupied 22 high-rise buildings along the Ayala business area in Makati.[4] The occupation of Makati lasted until December 7, while the rebels surrendered Mactan Airbase on December 9.[3] The official casualty toll was 99 dead (including 50 civilians) and 570 wounded.[5]

Following the failure of that coup, President Aquino established a Fact-Finding Commission headed by then-COMELEC Chairman Hilario Davide, Jr. to investigate and provide a full report on the series of coup attempts against her government. The report would become known as the Davide Commission Report.

Participants of the December 1989 coup would later blame perceived deficiencies in the Aquino government in areas as graft and corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, and lenient treatment of communist insurgents as the reasons for the coup.[6] In response, the Davide Commission recommended several short-term and long-term counter-measures, including the establishment of a civilian national police force, a crackdown on corruption in the military, a performance review of appointive government officials, reforms in the process of military promotions, a review of election laws in time for the 1992 presidential elections, and a definitive statement on the part of Aquino on whether she intended to run for re-election in 1992.[7][8]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Davide Commission Report, p. 222
  2. ^ Davide Commission Report, p. 222-225
  3. ^ a b Davide Commission Report, p. 229.
  4. ^ Davide Commission Report, p. 224
  5. ^ Davide Commission Report, p. 376
  6. ^ Davide Commission Report, p. 470
  7. ^ Davide Commission Report, pp. 509-530
  8. ^ Recommendations of the Final Report of the Fact-Finding Commission. Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (2003). Retrieved on 2008-05-05.

[edit] Reference

  • The Davide Fact-Finding Commission (1990). The Final Report of the Fact-Finding Commission (pursuant to R.A. No. 6832). Makati City: Bookmark Inc., 118. ISBN 971-569-003-3.