“A beautiful woman dressed in immense bright light stood in front of the tanks and stopped them…..”

These events in the Philippines began in February, 1986, as the twenty year dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos came to an abrupt     end through a series of strange events.

Corazon Aquino, the widow of slain opposition leader, Ninoy Aquino had won the presidential election in a stunning landslide

President Marcos had actually called for this election as a means to put an end to the efforts by the opposition to oust him, but it backfired!  However, through illegal actions and total control of the media, Marcos, instead lied and declared himself as the winner.

The rigged election results were obvious to everyone, sending millions into the streets to protest and triggering an unexpected coup attempt by a dissatisfied faction of the military.

The saga of EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue) culminated in a four day tension filled event when the rebel group in the Armed Forces of the Philippines was discovered by the Marcos troops and was ordered to be arrested.

Cardinal Jaime Sin, Archbishop of Manila enjoined the people to go out into the streets to protect the rebel leaders.  The Catholic faithful heeded the call and massed along ESDAvenue, fronting Camp Crame where the rebel leaders – headed by then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile and Armed Forces Vice Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos – were holed and thus protected by the people against impending bombs from the Marcos loyal troops.

The people milled around the rebel leaders, bringing nothing with them but rosary beads, flowers, food, and images of the Blessed Virgin

Hundreds and thousands of religious priests and sisters, parish priests and their parishoners.  They immobilized the tanks sent out to crush the rebel leaders, and, according to reports, even the people. The masses of people in the streets continued to pray the Rosary endlessly.  Some offered garlands of flowers to the soldiers who stood guard.  Some brave nuns climbed up on the tanks that were approaching.  Those who stayed in their homes sent supplies of food and drinks to the streets.

President Marcos had sent a full army – with tanks and armored vehicles – to Manila in order to control the seemingly unstoppable public demonstrations against his administration.

He planned to stop at nothing in order to gain control – even if it meant massacaring the crowds on the streets.  The civilians continued their protests not withstanding the danger when they would lay down in front of the tanks to stop them from penetrating the crowds.

All of a sudden, the soldiers were awestruck, stopping dead in their tracks.  A “beautiful woman encased in immense bright light and dressed as a nun” became clearly visible standing in front of the tanks.  The light was dazzling as the crowds saw her appear.

According to some of these soldiers, a beautiful woman, dressed in blue with heavenly eyes appeared in front of them, extended her arms outward and spoke in a voice that was clearly audible to everyone:

“Dear soldiers, stop!  Do not proceed.  Do not harm my children.  I am the queen of this land.

The soldiers then dropped their weapons, withdrew from pressing forward and joined the throngs of people to turn and fight with them against the Marcos regime.

The soldiers claimed that the woman who appeared to them was the Virgin Mary. A television station was covering the event which prompted thousands of Philippinos to run out of their houses in celebration chanting:  “Mother Mary is with us”

Cardinal Jamie Sin vouches for the veracity of the apparition and said:

“Yes, my heart was telling me that this was indeed Mary.  And since they obeyed this woman who appeared to them – and di no follow orders to fire upon the people, then President Marcos had nobody to give him any power or support.  This is when he fled from the Philippines.  That was the end of him.”

The Cardinal added that he did not know the soldiers – but that they came in tears to him, awestruck by the “beautiful heavenly lady.”

Cardinal Sin also revealed that he met with Sister Lucia, the only living visionary from Fatima, just before he was to travel to the United States to first tell of the Virgin’s visit at a press conference.  Although Sister Lucy had no access to newspapers, radio, television, or magazines, he was amazed that she knew and recounted every detail to him of what had happened.  

Sister Lucy then added that Corazon Aquino was a gift to the Philippines from God, and that if she could maintain peace there for at least two or more years, that nation would be influential in leading China to Christianity.

On February 25, 1986 that the political dictatorship of the late President Marcos ended with himself and his family fleeing to Hawaii.

Two years later on the same site, a Church was built, named Our Lady of EDSA Shrine, in commemoration of that glorious moment in the history of the Philippino people where love and faith towered over the might of guns and goons and propelled the Republic to continue its political histotry of freedom and respect for the constitution and the will of the people

 

Mary, Queen of Peace, the Patroness of EDSA Shrine, stands guard as a large statue atop the beautifully crafted roof of the EDSA Church, fronting the busy crossroads of EDSA and Ortigas Avenue.

 

Divine Mysteries and Miracles  Manila Philippines, 1986            John Carpenter

http://www.divinemysteries.info/manila-philippines-1986