-The tanks stop.
-People offer the soldiers candy and cigarettes, asking them to defect and join the rebellion. Young girls walk among the soldiers, passing out flowers.
-The blocked tanks start forward again. The people sit tight, holding their ground.
-The tanks stop again.
-A Marine commander threatens to start shooting. Priests and nuns kneel before the tanks, praying the Rosary. No shots are fired. Finally the tanks turn around and withdraw as the crowd cheers.
In short, for the 1980s and 1990s in the Philippines, a new age had dawned. Similarly peaceful revolts would take place all across Eastern Europe leading to the downfall of autocratic rule in many corners of the planet.
Later, Corry Aquino was formally elected president of the Philippines. "Aquino promised to promote the right to assemble peaceably, and free speech along with prosecuting corruption and abusers of human rights." She then released over 440 political prisoners.
Her popularity waned and she faced 7 coups in the six years of governance. However, today she is much better loved than ever. The Philippines will mourn her death greatly.
CORRUPTION AND SAME FAMILIES IN CHARGE
One of the greatest failures of both the Aquino and Arroyo administrations has been the failure to reign in corruption, especially involving their own supporters and family members. The U.S. had left less than a dozen politically and economically powerful families controlling the Philippines when its decades-long imperial occupation of the archipelago ended in 1945.
Only President Ramos, Aquinos successor, made as much as a half-hearted attempt to reform the broken system of cronyism among this oligarchy that control the 7000-plus isles of the Philippines.
An example of the depths of dismay among the Filipino population at the lack of progress against corruption in the country comes from my discussion with a taxi driver yesterday. I had asked the man, "What cars are produced in the Philippines?"
The taxi-driver stated, "None."
Then I enquired, "What companies are producing buses or trucks?"
The reply was, "Only Jeepneys are produced here."
Jeepneys used to be the undisputed kings of the road in the Philippinesbut they are based on a WWII Willey Jeep technology. However, Japanese and foreign built cars and trucks and buses dominate the road now in 2009.
