Day Two: The first People Power revolt

At dawn on Sunday, Feb. 23, 1986, government troops knocked down the main transmitter of the Catholic Church-owned Radio Veritas, cutting off its broadcast in the outskirts of Manila. Radio Veritas became the first target since it was a valuable communication link between rebel soldiers and the Filipino people. It provided continuous broadcast on the movements of government troops, as well as appeals to Filipinos to bring food, medicine and supplies for the rebel soldiers. Despite the early morning setback, Radio Veritas switched to a standby transmitter to keep broadcasting at a limited range. People coming to EDSA tuned in to Radio Veritas for developments. The crowd in EDSA already swelled to thousands at that time. EDSA was brimming with people in festive mood, with many supporters bringing their whole families. They brought rosaries and statues of the Blessed Mother of Jesus. Nuns and priests led in the prayer vigils, while various performers played progressive songs and read poems. Several groups sang Bayan Ko (My Land), which since 1980, had become the patriotic anthem of the anti-Marcos groups. People frequently flashed the Laban (fight) sign, an "L" formed with their thumb and index fingers. People also set up barricades and makeshift sandbags, trees and vehicles in several areas along EDSA and intersecting streets such as Santolan and Ortigas Avenues. After lunch, then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Lt. Gen. Fidel Ramos, Armed Forces vice chief of staff at that time, decided to consolidate their positions. Enrile crossed EDSA from Camp Aguinaldo to Camp Crame amidst cheers from the crowd. Radio Veritas reported in the afternoon that the Philippine Marines were gathering near the camps in the east, while tanks were approaching from the north and south. People at EDSA blocked a contingent of Marines led by Brig. Gen. Artemio Tadiar along Ortigas Avenue, about two kilometers from the camps. Nuns holding rosaries knelt in front of the tanks and armored vans. Women and men linked arms and appealed to the Marines to join them. Tadiar threatened the people, but they refused to budge. The troops later retreated peacefully. Come nightfall, the standby transmitter of Radio Veritas already failed. Shortly after midnight, the radio staff went to another station to broadcast from a secret location under the moniker Radio Bandido (Bandit Radio). June Keithley, a radio broadcaster, continued reporting on the events throughout the night and the remaining days. The radio broadcast on EDSA '86 was an important chronicle of the country and its people at a crucial time. - GMANews.TV