People Power at 40: La Salle Green Hills and the Namfrel volunteers

MANILA, Philippines – Forty years ago, volunteers of poll watchdog National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) gathered inside the gymnasium of La Salle Green Hills to watch the vote in the 1986 snap election.

The gymnasium became Namfrel’s headquarters for their “Operation Quick Count.” Their unofficial count saw opposition candidate Cory Aquino leading by more than 700,000 votes over then-president Ferdinand E. Marcos.

This was the opposite of the Commission on Elections’ count. Batasang Pambansa eventually declared Marcos and his running mate Arturo Tolentino as the winners of the snap election. Weeks later, crowds went out to EDSA and toppled the dictator.

Rappler’s Iya Gozum revisits the gymnasium where the tally board of the 1986 snap elections remains on display.

Reporter/writer: Iya Gozum
Video editor: Jaene Zaplan
Producer: Camille Zarate
Supervising producers: JC Gotinga, Beth Frondoso

– Rappler.com