FORTY years ago, the Philippines stood on the brink of history, poised to complete a momentous revolution.
Under the rule of a dictator, the country shocked the world by leading a peaceful uprising that would come to be known as the People Power Revolution.
Those born after EDSA never experienced the historic moment that united Filipinos in a common goal: To unseat Ferdinand Marcos.
From a curious perspective, what if the historic uprising happened today in the age of social media, instant messaging, and viral trends?
The following is a fictional reimagining of a true event, the eventual ouster of President Marcos.
Some details have been altered for relevance.
February 22
Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Lt. Gen. Fidel V. Ramos host a Zoom press conference to announce their break from the Marcos regime. They disclose massive electoral fraud, then declare Corazon Aquino as the rightful president.
Enrile pulls up his Viber app and calls US Ambassador Stephen Bosworth and Jaime Cardinal Sin, asking for their support.
Cardinal Sin immediately updates his Facebook status: “Leave your homes now… I ask you to support Mr. Enrile and Gen. Ramos. Give them food if you like. They are our friends.”
Meanwhile, President Marcos, claiming he has uncovered an assassination plot against him, fires off a tweet: “Enrile and Ramos, stop the stupidity. Surrender now.”
In Cebu, Corazon Aquino receives a text message from a reporter: “Have you heard? Enrile and Ramos are defecting.”
Skeptical, she immediately FaceTimes a contact in Manila to verify.
February 23
Responding to Cardinal Sin’s appeal, thousands of people begin gathering outside Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo, bringing food and supplies for the soldiers.
A drone-mounted GoPro captures a stunning aerial view of the growing crowd. The footage is uploaded on Instagram, quickly gone viral.
Alarmed, Marcos orders Gen. Fabian Ver to buy signal jammers to block communication.
Outside Camp Crame, civilians link arms to form a human barricade against approaching tanks.
Meanwhile, a group of teenagers records a TikTok dance to Bruno Mars and Rosé’s APT while posing in front of the tanks.
February 24
Inside Camp Crame, Enrile and Ramos rally the crowd.
“This is the day of our liberation,” Enrile declares.
Ramos follows, raising his clenched fist before dramatically frog-jumping into the air.
A bystander captures the moment and uploads it to YouTube. Within hours, the video skyrocketed to viral fame.
February 25
Inside Malacañang Palace, Marcos is on FaceTime with U.S. Senator Paul Laxalt.
“Should I step down?” Marcos asks.
Laxalt responds bluntly: “Mr. President, I’m not bound by diplomatic restraint. I’m only speaking for myself. I think you should cut, and cut cleanly. The time has come.”
At that moment, Marcos’ iPad screen goes black.
Alarmed, Laxalt asks: “Mr. President, are you still there?”
The screen flickers back on. Marcos sighs, his voice low: “I am so disappointed.”
Marcos doesn’t just step down instead he deletes his Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. He keeps Twitter but deletes all his YouTube videos.
Hours later, Marcos asks U.S. President Ronald Reagan if he can fly back home to Paoay, Ilocos Norte.
A U.S. military helicopter picks up Marcos and his family from Malacañang and brings them to Clark Air Base in Pampanga.
Unfortunately, the American pilot misunderstands Marcos’ request. Instead of flying to Paoay, they land in Hawaii.
As Marcos steps off the plane, he takes a selfie and tweets: “Wheels down Paoay! OMG, I’m in Hawaii, not Paoay!”
Marcos spends his final years in exile.
His reign – both in Malacañang and on social media – is over.
The revolution trends worldwide with the hashtag: #PeoplePowerRevolution
