Faith and revolution in the Philippines
4/24/202626 min
Forty years ago, a Filipino soldier serving under Ferdinand Marcos Sr, was ordered to attack civilians opposing the corrupt regime. After wrestling with his conscience, Gregorio ‘Gringo’ Honasan found he could not do it. Along with other soldiers who resigned from their posts, he founded the Reform for Armed Forces Movement, and they planned to storm the presidential palace and arrest the Marcoses. The coup, however was foiled when an insider leaked the plan to the government. Honasan and his men retreated back to their headquarters, but they knew the Marcos’s forces were on their way to them. Then, Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Jaime Sin, broadcast an appeal on the Catholic radio station Radio Veritas, calling for support from the public. Hundreds arrived at the camp to form a human shield around the rebel soldiers. They brought guitars and sang to the Marcos military. Meanwhile nuns, among them Sister Mary John Mananzan, handed out flowers. Jay Behrouzi speaks to Senator Gregorio Honasan, now 78 and retired from politics, and 88-year-old Sister Mary John, who is still an activist, to hear their firsthand accounts of that day, and how their faith has sustained them in the years since.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. [gentle music] Today's episode is sponsored by SmartTravel, a podcast from NerdWallet. Do you have a friend who treats airfare like a puzzle and somehow always ends up with a first-class upgrade? SmartTravel is like that friend, minus the group texts. NerdWallet's travel journalists break down the pros and cons of travel decisions, like when lounge access is worth paying for and which hotel loyalty programs actually pay off. Make your travel dollars work harder. Follow SmartTravel on your favorite podcast app.
Speaker 10:34
At Cox, your internet and mobile price won't change for five years. That's five New Year celebrations, [cork pops] five Valentine's Days, [people laughing] five Fourth of Julys, [fireworks explode] five Halloweens, [wolf howls] five Thanksgivings, [turkey gobbles] and five summers that go by too fast. [waves crashing] Through it all, your price stays the same with our five-year price lock guarantee. Cox, a step ahead. [gentle music] Requires two gig speeds and gig unlimited mobile. Taxes and fees excluded from price lock. Mobile data speeds reduced after 20 gigs.
Jay Behrouzi· Host1:05
[traffic bustling] This is Manila, the capital of my home country, the Philippines, and the city I spent my university years in. Today, these streets are busy with traffic and street vendors, but forty years ago, they were occupied by Filipinos demanding