THE URBAN MASS MOVEMENT in the PHILIPPINES, 1983-87 the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Was Established As an Autonomous Organization in May 1968
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THE URBAN MASS MOVEMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES, 1983-87 The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies was established as an autonomous organization in May 1968. It is a regional centre for scholars and other specialists concerned with modern Southeast Asia, particularly the multi-faceted problems of stability and security, economic development and political and social change. The Institute is governed by a twenty-two-member Board of Trustees comprising nominees from the Singapore Government, the National University of Singapore, the various Chambers of Commerce, and professional and civic organizations. A ten- member Executive Committee oversees day-to-day operations; it is chaired by the Director, the Institute's chief academic and administrative officer. Political and Social Change Monograph 10 THE URBAN MASS MOVEMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES, 1983-87 Max R. Lane Department of Political and Social Change Research School of Pacific Studies Australian National University, Canberra issued under the auspices of Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore 1990 Cfrai DS This work is copyright. Apart from any fair dealings for the purpose of t%.6$ study, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries • LoSoll may be made to the publisher. IH"U First published 1990, Department of Political and Social Change, Research School of Pacific Studies, The Australian National University. Printed and manufactured in Australia by Panther Publishing Distributed by Department of Political and Social Change Research School of Pacific Studies Australian National University GPO Box 4 Canberra ACT 2601 Australia and issued under the auspices of Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Heng Mui Keng Terrace Pasir Panjang Singapore 0511 National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-publication entry Lane, Max, 1951- The urban mass movement in the Philippines, 1983-1987 Bibliography Includes index ISBNO 7315 1024 0. 1. Philippines - Politics and government - 1986 - . 2. Philippines - Politics and government - 1973-1986. 1. Australian National University. Dept. of Political and Social Change. II. Title. (Series : Political and social change monograph; no. 10). 959.9046 6RAD Contents Acknowledgements vi Glossary vii Introduction 1 1. From Assassination to Revolution: August 1983 - February 1986 4 2 . The Movement During The Interregnum: From Revolution to Elections, February 1986 -May 1987 21 3. After Legitimacy: Peoples Power On the Offensive, May - August 1987 61 4. The Mass Movement and the August 28 Coup d'Etat 77 References 93 Index 95 VI Acknowledgements I must express particular thanks to the following friends in the Philippines who shared their time and knowledge with me during my stays in the Philippines in 1986 and 1987: Professor Francisco Nemenzo, Jose Maria Sison, Boy Morales, Isageni Soriano, Lisa Dacanay, and Etta Rosales. I was able to interview and speak to many other people, too many to thank individually. One person with whom I discussed Filipino politics regularly and from whose sharp and rigorous analysis I learnt a lot was the late Lean Alejandro. Lean, who was a leader of the Filipino progressive movement, was assassinated at age 26 in 1987. I must also thank the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies where I wrote this monograph, especially its Director, Professor Sandhu and its Executive Secretary, Mrs Lee, for all the assistance that ISEAS provided to me as 1987 Australian- ASEAN Fellow. The company and convivial and always interesting dialogue with several young Singaporean and Malaysian scholars at ISEAS also helped me through a period of intensive research and writing. I must also thank Ron May, Larissa Taylor and Bev Fraser for all the work they have put into the final preparation of the monograph for publication. Finally, I must thank my wife and daughter, Anna and Melanie, for putting up with my regular absences from Australia. Of course, none of those who have helped or contributed to the writing of this monograph bear any responsibility for its deficiencies which are all my fault. M.R.L. Vll Glossary ATOM August Twenty-One Movement BANDILA Bansang Nagkaisa sa Diwa at Layunin (A Nation United in Thought and Purpose) BAYAN Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance) AFP Armed Forces of the Philippines ANP Alliance for New Politics BISIG Bukluran para sa Iklauunad ng Sosyahstang Isip at Gawa (Union for Advancement of Socialist Thought and Action) CARP Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program CDPD Coalition for the Defence and Preservation of Democracy CHDF Civilian Home Defence Force Units CNL Christians for National Liberation COAP Coalition Against Oil Price Rises Con-Com Constitutional Commission CORD Coalition for the Restoration of Democracy COURAGE Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees CPAR Congress for Peoples Agrarian Reform CPP Communist Party of the Philippines CRUS Christian Union of Socialists EDS A Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, Manila ERB Energy Regulatory Board FDSM Federation of Social Democratic Movements Vlll FF W Federation of Free Workers FLAG Free Legal Assistance Group GABRIELA General Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership and Action GATCORD Garment, Textile, Cordage and Allied Workers in the Philippines IPD Institute for Popular Democracy JAJA Justice for Aquino Justice for All KAAKBAY Kilusan sa Kapangyarihan at Karapatan ng Bayan (Movement for People's Sovereignty and Democracy) KADENA National Democratic Youth Movement KBL Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (New Society Movement) KKD Kilusang para sa Kalayaan at Demokrasya KMP Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Philippines Peasants' Movement) KMU Kilusang Mayo Uno (First of May Movement) KOMPIL Filipino People's Congress LACC Labour Advisory and Consultative Council LAKAS Lakas Ng Sambayan (People's Power) LFS League of Filipino Students Mabini A human rights lawyers' group named after the revolutionary hero and lawyer, Apolinario Mabini MMPC Metro Manila People's Council MNP Movement for New Politics NAJFD Nationalist Alliance for Justice, Freedom and Democracy (Nationalist Alliance) Namfrel National Citizens Movement for Free Elections IX NDF National Democratic Front NFL National Federation of Labour NFSW National Federation of Sugar Workers NMCL National Movement for Civil Liberties NPA New People's Army OUTCRY People's Organizations Organized Towards Critical Yes Pandayan Pandayan para sa Sosyalistang Pilipinas (Movement for a Socialist Philippines) PCHR Presidential Commission on Human Rights PDP-Laban Philippine Democratic Party-Lakas ng Bayan PDSP Philippine Democratic Socialist Party PKP Partido Komunista sa Pilipinas (Philippines Communist Party) PnB Partido ng Bayan (People's Party) PSSLU Philippines Social Security Labour Union PUP Polytechnic University of the Philippines RAM Reform the Armed Forces of the Philippines Movement ROAR Run On Against Marcos and for Reconciliation TUCP Trade Union Congress of the Philippines TUPAS Trade Union of the Philippines and Allied Services UNIDO United Nationalist Democratic Organization VPD Volunteers for Popular Democracy WFTU World Federation of Trade Unions Introduction This monograph surveys the history of what I have called the 'urban mass movement', between August 1983 and October 1987. The movement - variously referred to as 'cause-oriented movement', 'people's power', and 'people's movement' - emerged as a protest movement during the Marcos years, when it campaigned for the removal of Marcos and for a new government which would institute democratic rule and carry out a range of social and economic reforms. 1 More specifically, these terms have been used to refer to the legal protest movement, as distinct from the underground, armed, revolutionary movement. During this period the legal mass movement flourished in both urban and rural areas but the centre of its activities was in the major urban settlements, especially Manila. The period covered by this study is bounded by two watershed events in modern Philippines history: the assassination of ex-Senator Benigno Aquino, and the attempted coup d'etat by Colonel Gregorio Honasan. The assassination of Benigno Aquino in August 1983 caused a massive outburst of protest which fuelled an acceleration in the growth of the mass movement and culminated in the victory over Marcos in February 1986. The next eighteen months were dominated by the attempts of the new government of Corazon Aquino to stabilize a form of traditional, parliamentary government. The attempted coup d'etat of August 1987 reflected the frustration of conservative social forces in the Philippines with the inability of the Aquino government to bring a permanent end to the mass movement and the armed, revolutionary underground. Before embarking on a historical survey, the importance of the mass movement in the recent political history of the Philippines should be emphasized. Strictly speaking, President Corazon Aquino did not come to power through elections, even though she received more votes than Marcos in the January 1986 presidential Probably the most succinct statement of the reforms that were being demanded by the protest movement can be found in the 'Compact' between several of the most important sectors of the protest movement, dated 6 January 1984. The Urban Mass Movement in the Philippines: 1983-87 elections. That her government was not a 'duly-elected constitutional government' was acknowledged in practice when she declared a Provisional