The Manila Hotel Siege

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition Series 2):

JUNE 6, 1986

The Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) together with 5,000 Marcos loyalists threatened the four-month old Corazon Aquino presidency by taking over the Manila Hotel. 

Arturo Tolentino, the running mate of President Ferdinand Marcos and a former assemblyman and senator claimed his constitutional right as acting president after Marcos left the country. 

Tolentino read a letter from Marcos to the crowd: "I hereby order that in view of my inadvertent and unavoidable absence from the Philippines, I authorize Tolentino to be the legitimate head of the country until such time that I return to the Philippines." 

Tolentino was later sworn in by former Supreme Court Justice Serafin Cuevas as acting president. 

Two days later, Fidel V. Ramos, the AFP Chief of Pres. Cory Aquino successfully neutralized the rebellion and ordered the rebel soldiers just to do thirty push-ups.

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved

Photo credit: wikipedia.org