Today in history: The Veep's POV
What Doy Laurel recorded in his diary on that historic day
Salvador H. Laurel’s diary entry for February 25, 1986:
I arrived punctually before 9 A.M. –everybody –the political and local leaders, the local and foreign media– were all there. But Cory was nowhere. I inquired her whereabouts. Tessie Oreta, Butz Aquino did not know. We waited two hours. Finally at 11 A.M. I was able to talk to her on a two-way radio. “Cory –where are you? Is there a problem? You should be here now. Everybody’s waiting!” She could not talk on the radio phone, she said, “There is a problem. Could you please come?” “Where are you?” I asked. “Same place as yesterday.”
I rushed to Josephine’s house in WW. I was there in 3 minutes. When I arrived everybody was so quiet, as if someone had died. I was met by her son, Noynoy at the entrance. I was led to her room. When I opened the door Cory was seated on a chair looking out the window.
“What’s wrong, why are you still here? Everybody is waiting. And at high noon, which is 55 minutes from now, FM is taking his oath. We must beat him to it!”
“But Enrile told me not to go. He says we will all be killed there. He says I should take my oath in his office at Camp Aguinaldo. I’ll be safe there, he said. You have to talk to Enrile.”
“It’s too late to change the venue. I’ll talk to Enrile. Can someone dial him for me? I don’t know his phone number.” Ballsy dialed and in a moment Enrile was on the phone.
“Johnny, this is Doy, I’m here with Cory. She says you don’t want her to take her oath at Club. But everybody’s there now. All media is there, about 2000 leaders and news people are there. They’ve been waiting for more than two hours.
“Johnny, there is no problem about security there. I’ve taken care of that. I have about 300 Batangueños, ready to protect us. We cannot show any fear at this time. FM will take his oath in an hour. Why don’t you and Eddie Ramos take a chopper and land like commandos. That will be dramatic.” Enrile agreed, “OK Eddie and I’ll be there in 10 minutes.”
From Chronology of a Revolution, Day 4, February 25, 1986:
TIMES ST., QUEZON CITY ► The sun had barely risen. Negotiations between Cory's camp and the military revolutionaries had been going on since early evening of the 24th. The Reformist generals were professionaly appalled at Cory's announcement that she intended to hold the ceremony at Club Filipino, a suburban country club just a kilometer away from enemy lines.
"It's within mortar range and we can't seal it off. It's almost indefensible-a tactical nightmare. From a security standpoint we'd be far better off if we held it in Camp Crame. We could fly her there in an unmarked civilian chopper," said the Reformists.
"You must realize that in the end, it's all up to her," replied a sleepy and haggard Peping Cojuangco, Cory's brother and secretary-general of her party.
Cory explained, "Camp Crame was the first place where Ninoy, where every political detainee was brought during the martial law years. Filipinos once lived in dread of being taken there. Today it may be a place of heroism, but unfortunately a lot of tortures, executions, and summary detentions took place there in the past. The second thing is, I have already told the people that I will be at Club Filipino, and I fully intend to keep my promise. I chose it because it is a neutral and public place. And I absolutely refuse to take a helicopter."
The generals and advisers left to make whatever security arrangements they could. PEOPLE POWER (II) pp. 233-234
Cory Aquino: That morning of Tuesday, Fr. Joaquin Bernas and Jimmy Ongpin came to see me accompanied by two generals. Fr. Bernas took me aside and said, "You know, they really want you to go to Crame and take your oath of office there, and some of the generals can't understand why you don't seem to trust them." I said it was not a question of trust, it was just that I had already announced that I would hold it at the Club Filipino,arrangements had been made. Also, I wanted to go to a civilian place, plus Club Filipino had always been identified with the opposition then against Marcos.
CLUB FILIPINO, SAN JUAN, 6:00 AM ► The vicinity was ablaze with yellow as people started to pour in. Most of the early birds came from an all-night vigil in nearby Camp Crame. Malaya 26 Feb…
TIMES ST., QC ► Cory chatted amiably with Father Joaquin Bernas, SJ, president of the Ateneo de Manila University, Father Jose Blanco, another Jesuit, and Jaime Ongpin. All three belonged to her inner circle of advisers.
Her daughters wandered about the house, getting their dresses pressed for the ceremony. Eldon Cruz, her son-in-law, answered the constantly ringing telephones.
Suddenly there was a loud slamming of machine gun fire, very close by. It was answered by the popping rattle of M-16 rifles. Everyone in the parlor ducked into an adjoining stone corridor as Noynoy, Cory's son, dashed out of the house with his Colt .45 automatic, a flak jacket thrown over his pajamas. PEOPLE POWER (II) p. 234…
TIMES ST.,QC ► When Noynoy returned, he indicated the tall antenna tower, clearly visible through the huge picture window. There was a sniper perched on one of the beams. He was perilously close-surely within rifle range. He was looking the other way.
Cory told her children to pack and calmly announced to her disbelieving advisers that she was going to take a shower and get dressed. PEOPLE POWER (ll)p. 234
GREENHILLS, SAN JUAN ► Originally scheduled for around 8:00 AM, the inaugural was set back two hours as a call went out to the people to surround Club Filipino just in case Mr. Marcos should try to disrupt it.QUARTET p. 86
► By 8:00 AM the grounds were teeming with people, the overspill extending up to the Greenhills Commercial Center. The Sampaguita Hall, where the oath-taking was to happen, was also full.
For lack of space, only about 500 people were allowed entry into the function hall which has a normal capacity of 300 persons. The few who were privileged to witness the historic event consisted of opposition leaders, journalists, and well-known opposition supporters and, of course, the members of the Aquino and Laurel families.
The Presidential table was reserved for 15 persons, among them former Vice Presidents Fernando Lopez and Emmanuel Pelaez, and Supreme Court Justices Claudio Teehankee and Vicente Abad Santos.
Mr. Laurel waited for Mrs. Aquino at the gate of the function room. Malaya 26 Feb…
CLUB FILIPINO ► Enrile and Ramos, dressed in combat uniform arrived aboard a helicopter from nearby Camp Crame. They were preceded by eight soldiers who immediately secured the place. Inquirer 26 Feb
SAMPAGUITA HALL ► Seats were added with the unexpected arrival of "rebels" Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Lt. Gen. Fidel V. Ramos, accompanied by their personal aides from the New Armed Forces.Malaya 26 Feb
► Enrile and Ramos signed the Citizens' Resolution revoking the proclamation of Marcos and Tolentino and installing Aquino and Laurel. Inquirer 26 Feb
TIMES ST., QC ► Glum and nervous, Cory's advisers paced the narrow stone corridor, starting at the occasional bursts of fire. They sounded very close-too close. Father Blanco prayed the rosary, the beads shifting deliberately in his pale fingers. Father Bernas, while outwardly calm, seemed as if he were trying studiously not to tremble. Jaime Ongpin, nervously adjusting his glasses, answered a steady stream of telephone calls. PEOPLE POWER (II) p. 234…
MALACAÑANG PALACE, Morning ► Aides were packing for their trip to the North. They packed important papers together with personal necessities of the First Family. A secretary set aside confidential papers which were later burned to ashes. Mr & Ms 21 Mar
TIMES ST., QC ► Cory finally emerged, and the party climbed into cars to meet the rest of the opposition and continue to the proclamation. To the terror of the rest of the motorcade, Cory's Chevrolet Suburban cruised through the crowd-littered streets at Sunday promenade speed, pausing respectfully at every red light despite the scarcity of other traffic. Fortunately no one recognized her through the heavily tinted, bulletproof windows. PEOPLE POWER (II) p. 234
Cory Aquino: Jimmy Ongpin was saying, we'll be your shields. So he and Apa were standing in front of me, covering me, as I got into the car. But first we went to my sister's house in Wack Wack, just to make sure that everything was already in place at Club Filipino. I called Doy Laurel and told him about the generals. He assured me that everything was in place. "Ayos nang lahat," he said. In a light mood, I was thinking, well, it's the first time that Doy and I have agreed on something really important.
ROLANDO A. DOMINGO ► By about 9:00 AM people had rimmed the entire area around the Club Filipino compound. Friends chatted, cameras clicked away, people cheered the eminent walking up the driveway. Then a bras band came joyously marching up the road. Everybody cheered as itbelted out such favorites as "Bayan Ko" and "Tie A Yellow Ribbon". It even played "Dixie," to catch the attention of an American video news team. The reformist soldiers arrived in cars and helicopters. People mobbed them, marveling at their weapons. One very young soldier held up his Uzi to show off where a yellow ribbon was tied to its muzzle. QUARTET p. 86…
CLUB FILIPINO ► A distant rhythmic roar was heard slowly approaching. The crowd knew what it was instantly, and they took up the chant. "Co-ry! Co-ry! Co-ry!" Her Chevy could now be seen in the distance, as if borne on a sea of people with their arms upraised, toiling slowly onward, a swarm of dark and shiny Mercedeses in its wake. The roar was deafening by the time the van and its entourage reached the driveway. In addition, a knot of foreigners had brought an air horn, whose blasts competed with the psychotic wail of an air raid siren some other enthusiast dug out of his closet. Ibid.
10:15 AM ► Cory arrived late for the biggest day of her life, the reason for the delay not sufficiently explained. She was wearing a bright yellow linen outfit with cut-work sleeves, more than her usual light make-up, and small diamond earrings and a black-strap watch as her only jewelry.Inquirer 26 Feb
► Cory plodded through a throng of supporters crowded six feet deep and flashing the Laban sign.Op. cit.
Fidel Ramos: What was electric was when Cory Aquino herself came in. The whole room burst into spontaneous applause. Cory supporters were waving yellow banners and all sorts of yellow things. It was a very inspiring moment. I thank the Lord that I was part of that very historic moment.
SAMPAGUITA ROOM ► Laurel escorted the new President to the Presidential table where she was presented with a bouquet of yellow flowers.
The program commenced with the singing of the National Anthem, led by Stella and Cocoy Laurel; an invocation by Bishop Federico Escaler followed. Malaya 26 Feb
► Neptali Gonzales read the resolution proclaiming Mrs. Aquino and her running mate as the duly-elected President and Vice President respectively, and nullifying the proclamation by the Batasang Pambansa of President Ferdinand Marcos and MP Arturo Tolentino. Inquirer 26 Feb
► The historic document was typewritten on simple bond paper. It appeared terribly crumpled for it had been passed around for over a hundred signatures, beginning with all the opposition assemblymen's.
As Neptali Gonzales read the names of the signatories, more names were added, passed on by former Senator Ernesto Maceda on pieces of paper and even bits of newspapers. Among the most applauded were Minister Enrile, General Ramos, NAMFREL boss Joe Concepcion, the widow of Evelio Javier, and Chino Roces. Op. cit.
10:40 AM ► Laurel took his oath of office as Vice President of the Philippines before Supreme Court Justice Vicente Abad Santos.
10:46 AM ► Aquino was sworn into office by Senior Supreme Court Justice Claudio Teehankee. Malaya 26 Feb
► Not one person in the huge crowd spoke, starting from the pause as Justice Teehankee stepped up to the rostrum, and as he read the words of the oath with quiet but forceful and solemn dignity, Cory answered in a similar tone.
As Justice Teehankee uttered the final words of the oath, a tremendous cheer broke loose from every throat. Flags waved, hats and bandannas were thrown into the air. Outside there was dancing in the streets.
Eventually the crowd quieted down enough to sing the Lord's Prayer in Pilipino and then “Bayan Ko,” the melancholy yet defiant early-twentieth-century protest song that in this decade has become the "second national anthem" of the Philippines. Tears were in many eyes.
Above, the protecting gunships howled in lazy sweeps around the china-blue sky. PEOPLE POWER (II) p. 235
► People were curious as to whether Ramos and Enrile knew how to sing the opposition theme song, "Bayan Ko." It turned out that the two not only knew the song, but also raised their hands in a Laban sign, like all the rest in the hall.Inquirer 26 Feb
CORY AQUINO ► "It is fitting and proper that if the rights and liberties of our people were taken away at midnight 14 years ago, the people should recover their lost rights and liberties in the full light of day."Time 3 Mar
► Mrs. Aquino issued her first order-Executive Order No. 1. The order filled up three key positions in her government: Salvador Laurel as Prime Minister, Juan Ponce Enrile as Defense Minister, and Fidel Ramos as Chief of Staff of the New Armed Forces. Ramos was promoted from Lt. Gen. to the full rank of General. Malaya 26 Feb