| Attempts at regime change in the Philippines (1970–2007) |
|---|
|
Civil unrest (1970) |
From 1986 to 1987, there were six plots to overthrow the government of Philippine President Corazon Aquino involving various members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. A significant number of the military participants in these attempts belonged to the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), while others were identified loyalists to former President Ferdinand Marcos, who had been deposed in February 1986. Two of the attempts — the November 1986 "God Save the Queen" plot and the July 1987 plot — were uncovered and quashed by authorities before they could be operationalized. Save for the August 1987 coup attempts, which left 53 people dead, the other plots were repelled with minimal or no violence.
An even more serious coup attempt would be staged against the Aquino government in December 1989. 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.
The first occurred on July 6, 1986, when some 490 armed soldiers and 15,000 civilians loyal to Ferdinand Marcos occupied the Manila Hotel for 37 hours.[1] At the Manila Hotel, Marcos's vice-presidential running-mate Arturo Tolentino announced that Marcos had authorized him to temporarily take over the government, took his oath as "acting President", and designated a cabinet.[1] The public remained generally unaffected by this incident,[2] and it ended without violence by July 8.[3]
A more serious plot unfolded a few months later with the so-called "God Save the Queen Plot",[4] which the Davide Commission concluded was actively participated in by Defense Secretary Enrile and members of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM).[5] The plot, scheduled for November 11, 1986, was discovered by the Aquino government several days in advance and was deliberately leaked to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, thus thwarting the plan.[6] The government then learned that the plot was rescheduled for November 22, 1986.[7] On November 22, the military was placed on red alert and the rebel troops were blockaded, leading them to return to barracks.[8] The following day, Aquino announced the firing of Enrile as Defense Secretary and an overall Cabinet revamp, "to give the government a chance to start all over again."[9]
From January 27 to 29, around 100 soldiers led by Colonel Oscar Canlas seized the main compound of GMA Network in Quezon City,[10] while other troops attempted in vain to capture Sangley Point Air Force Base in Cavite.[11] One rebel soldier would be killed, while thirty five people were injured.[12]
On Holy Saturday, 18 April, 56 rebel soldiers staged a raid on Fort Bonifacio. It was repelled within the morning, with 1 rebel soldier dead.[13]
On July 1987, a plot to stage another coup attempt through a military takeover of the Manila International Airport was uncovered before it could be operationalized, with four officers being court-martialed for the plot.[14]
On August 28, 1987, the most serious attempt up to then to overthrow Aquino's government was launched by members of the RAM, led by Colonel Gregorio Honasan, who had been a former top aide to Enrile.[15] On the early morning of the 28th, rebel soldiers launched an attack on Malacañang Palace. The siege was repelled in a few hours with several military and civilian casualties, including Aquino's son, Noynoy, who was wounded.[16] Honasan himself led soldiers that seized portions of Camp Aguinaldo, including the headquarters of the Department of National Defense.[17] Rebel soldiers also seized parts of Villamor Airbase, three television stations in Manila, military camps in Pampanga and Cebu, and the airport in Legaspi City.[18] Various statements broadcast by the rebels referred to "the overindulgence in politics which now pervades in society",[19] the supposed mishandling of the communist insurgency, and the deplorable economic condition of the military rebels.[20] However, by the end of the day, government troops were able to recapture most of the rebel-held facilities, and the coup had fizzled by the 29th, with 53 people dead and more than 200 wounded.[21] Many of the dead were unarmed civilian onlookers who were fired upon by the rebels after they were jeered upon by the crowd.[21] Honasan himself evaded capture, while Enrile, by then a Senator, denied involvement in the coup.[21]
Following the August 1987 coup attempt, the Aquino government was seen to have veered to the right, dismissing perceived left-leaning officials such as Executive Secretary Joker Arroyo and tacitly authorizing the establishment of armed quasi-military groups to combat the communist insurgency.[22] It was also believed that General Ramos, who remained loyal to Aquino, emerged as the second most powerful person in government following his successful quelling of the coup.[23] Across-the-board wage increases for soldiers were also granted.[24] Aquino herself would sue Philippine Star columnist Louie Beltran for libel after he wrote that the President had hid under her bed when the siege of Malacañang had begun.
On January 5, 1989, some soldiers seized the Camp Cawa-Cawa in Zamboanga City. Rizal Alih killed 7 people, including Gen. Eduardo Batallia and Col. Romeo Abendan of the Philippine Constabulary.
Government troops shot and dropped bombs to the camp where Alih was. After the fight, the whole camp collapsed. 7 people were killed including Batallia and Abendan. Alih already escaped to go to Malaysia to hide so he is not arrested. The camp was then rebuilt and was renamed in the honor of General Batallia. 20 years later, Alih was arrested in 2009, in a manhunt operation and sentenced to maximum imprisonment.
On December 1, 1989 three rebel T-28D Trojans (Tora-Toras) raked Malacañang Palace with rockets and gunfire, the rebel soldiers made a wrong assumption that they have control of the air through effective neutralization of 5th Fighter Wing Air assets. Rebel soldiers at Mactan successfully trapped most of the F-5s and combat ready pilots thus preventing them from interfering with the rebel's operations. While at Basa Air Base there were only three F-5A and one F-5B with partial mission capability. ACER Atienza the Squadron Commander of the 6th Fighter Squadron ordered his maintenance crew to work overtimein bringing the F-5s back to full operation. On the same day, three F-5s under the command of Atienza flew to challenge the rebel T-28s. It culminated with the destruction of the Tora-Toras on the ground at Sangley Point but at the cost of one F-5A (flown by Atienza, who died in one of the strafing runs). The elimination of the T-28s turned the tide against the rebels, for his heroism Atienza was posthumously awarded the Medal of Valor and in honor of his sacrifice the airfield at Sangley Point was named after him.
On March 4, 1990, suspended Cagayan governor Rodolfo Aguinaldo and his armed men of 200 seized Hotel Delfino in Tuguegarao, Cagayan as a result in the previous failed coup against the president. Brigader General Oscar Florendo, his driver and four members of the civilian staff, and several other people were made as hostages led an another mutiny to end. Several hours later, a gunfight was launched to kill Aguinaldo and his men but one of the suspended governor's men was found dead in a checkpoint shootout, Brig. Gen. Florendo and 12 others were also dead and 10 more wounded. Aguinaldo is also slightly wounded in a car gunfight until eventually escaped and hid into the mountains.
The last of ten coup attempts happened on October 4, 1990, when mutinous soldiers stormed an army base in Mindanao at dawn and lasted for two days. Again it failed when Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and 21 others are surrendered to the government on October 6.