Becoming the voice of freedom: A Radio Veritas reporter’s experience of EDSA Revolution

February 25, 1986, will forever be remembered as one of the most pivotal days in the Philippines. This date marked the end of the dictatorship of then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and the restoration of democracy in the country.

President Marcos was forced to end his more than two decades of rule and flee to the United States after Filipinos marched down the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Manila and called for his resignation.

For three days, from February 22 to 25, protesters occupied the highway and bravely faced military opposition. It ended without bloodshed, making it one of the first peaceful, successful revolutions in Asia and the whole world.

At the height of EDSA, millions of people were present, and it was Jaime Cardinal Sin, the then-Archbishop of Manila, who initiated the call for the people to protest in the streets and express their opposition to the dictatorship. Radio Veritas broadcast his message, now considered the most critical call to action of the revolution.

In an exclusive interview, Gabby Salcedo, former writer and reporter of Radio Veritas, recounts his firsthand experience of that historic day when the cardinal delivered his message to the Filipino people.

Broadcast the call.

Salcedo recalled how they first received the news of the defection of then-Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and then-Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief General Fidel Ramos from the Marcos Administration on February 22. He immediately rushed to Camp Aguinaldo, the AFP’s general headquarters, upon receiving the news.

While at the camp, motorists stopped by the gates to honk their horns, and people were shouting their support for Enrile and Ramos—they heard Cardinal Sin’s broadcast and promptly responded to his call.

“People from all walks of life convened [and] gathered in EDSA and along the side street… Over the next few days, the crowd grew from a mere five thousand to almost a million, he said.

In retaliation, Salcedo said that soldiers loyal to the Marcos regime attacked Radio Veritas's transmitter in the province of Bulacan to stop the cardinal’s broadcast.

“[The soldiers] destroyed the facilities [in Bulacan] after forcing their way in. The broadcast continued for a while, but they were using the emergency transmitter in Fairview," he said.

“It only lasted for about the whole day. Eventually, Radio Veritas signed off,” he explained. 

Continuing the fight

Before Radio Veritas’ key role in the beginning of the EDSA Revolution, Salcedo said that the station had been at the forefront of the battle against the Marcos dictatorship.

“[Radio Veritas] became the voice of freedom where people could speak. Prominent personalities came here to speak their views out [and] their advocacies,” he said.

Salcedo recalled how they saw the “silent majority” start to voice out their thoughts after the assassination of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., a staunch critic of President Marcos Sr., on August 21, 1983.

“From that very day, the people were already awakened from their slumber of choosing to be silent [and] oblivious of what's happening around the country: the military abuses, cronyism, [and] corruption,” he said.

“And throughout that event, from August 21 up to EDSA, Radio Veritas was there for the people,” Salcedo also said.

Keep the flame burning.

However, the former Radio Veritas reporter lamented how Filipinos’ tendency to set aside their history diminishes the lessons and legacy of the EDSA Revolution.

“There are people who would say that EDSA was a betrayal,” he said. “What happened during [its] anniversary? Because the problems that were supposed to be resolved by that time—colonialism and corruption—are still here.”

However, Salcedo asserted that the revolution, along with Radio Veritas' contribution, demonstrates that democracy is perpetually evolving.

“Never forget what the EDSA Revolution stood for… The hope is still there. But how to sustain it… is the main challenge.”

“It is a continuing process. It is up to the Filipinos,” he also said.