Edsa 20/20: The First Few Hours on Radio Veritas

TWENTY years ago, Filipinos did not have access to breaking news the way they do today. There were no cellular phones on which to receive hourly updates. There were no computers on which to check news sites or blogs. All they had were the print-only newspapers and the radio and television stations, most of which were either government-owned or censoring themselves for fear of reprisals.

And so, on the evening of February 22, 1986, when Juan Ponce Enrile and Fidel V. Ramos announced that they were withdrawing their support for President Ferdinand Marcos, Radio Veritas was one of the very few reliable sources for breaking news — perhaps the only one.

What was it like during the early hours of the birth of the Edsa Revolution? Thanks to Champ Reyes — whose father, Wency Reyes, was one of those who asked people to go to Edsa — we have a recording of the Radio Veritas broadcast on that historic night.

Download the entire recording here or listen to the following excerpts:

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This post was written for Inside PCIJ.


Categories: The Philippines, Filipiniana Online