February 25, 1986 in foreign reports

Today, 40 years ago, Corazon C. Aquino took the presidential oath of office, held at Club Filipino in San Juan, at around 10:46 A.M., administered by Associate Justice Claudio Teehankee Sr. An hour later, Ferdinand E. Marcos took his own oath in the Malacañang Palace Ceremonial Hall, administered by Chief Justice Ramon Aquino.

Since then, commemorations have been held to celebrate the “EDSA spirit.” The People Power revolution saw an estimated two million Filipinos along EDSA, a scale unmatched later. Subsequent anniversaries had even smaller crowds: roughly 5,000 participants at the 30th anniversary in 2016, about 1,000 in 2020 and 2021, rising to around 1,400 in 2023, and reaching around 5,500 by 2025. For today’s 40th anniversary, organizers have projected a larger mobilization, expecting more than 30,000 participants.

To see how other nations reported that defining moment in our history, below are some of the news coverages from various countries:

February 25, across three U.S.-based papers, reported the day as a striking constitutional rupture marked by two rival inaugurations. Aquino took her oath, asserting authority under a provisional government, while Marcos was sworn in separately in Malacañang, maintaining his claim to office. The Los Angeles Times highlighted both symbolism and geopolitics, noting Washington’s public call for Marcos’ surrender. The Washington Post emphasized the uncertainty on the ground, shaped by civilian demonstrations and military defections. The Observer captured the sequence plainly: Aquino first, Marcos later --a nation in a transfer-of-power crisis.

Official U.S. government statements revealed a cautious but gradually shifting stance. Early White House briefings stressed stability and the need to avoid violence, describing events as an internal Philippine matter while making clear that developments were being closely watched. As conditions changed quickly, Washington’s language shifted to acceptance. This culminated on February 25, when Secretary of State George Shultz formally recognized Aquino’s presidency and expressed support for a peaceful transfer of power, signaling U.S. confidence in the new administration.

The Straits Times of Singapore depicted the night as a blend of joy and restraint. As word of Marcos’s departure spread, crowds flowed into the streets and toward Malacañang Palace, turning the seat of power into a living symbol of “people power”. Tensions slowly gave way to scenes of celebration, with singing, dancing, and fireworks. Beneath the festive mood was a notable civic discipline. Even as people climbed gates and walls, many called for calm: “Don’t destroy, it’s ours.” Volunteers guarded rooms, citizens kept watch, and lighthearted moments reflected a shared sense of relief.

Australia’s The Canberra Times two days later described Manila swept by celebration after Marcos’s fall. Thousands filled the streets, and more than 10,000 entered Malacañang Palace. Early unrest soon gave way to a festive mood of singing and dancing. Many urged others not to damage the palace, calling it “ours,” while volunteers formed human barricades and guarded the grounds. Relief and jubilation mingled with restraint, captured in simple, symbolic gestures like yellow balloons bearing congratulatory messages.

The Guardian of the United Kingdom reported that Aquino intensified the post-election crisis by urging a national strike and civil disobedience, aimed to pressure Marcos through nonviolence, including delaying payments to state entities and boycotting businesses linked to Marcos. The paper also noted Marcos’s promises of reform, announced the resignation of Gen. Fabian Ver, and warnings in U.S. media about the implications of reduced American aid. Although Marcos was proclaimed winner and sworn in, his formal inauguration was set for February 25 --a bid to project continuity as opposition momentum and foreign pressure grew.

Over the years, EDSA commemoration attendance has thinned for various political and social reasons: the de-institutionalization of the anniversary, memory becoming politically contested, disillusionment with EDSA’s outcomes, generational turnover and shifting incentives, and partisan “branding” fatigue. Put simply, attendance declines when commemoration feels less accessible, less compelling, and less urgent, even as many still value the “spirit of EDSA.”