In People Power the Reformer faction encompasses all the liberal, nonviolent, political opposition to the Marcos regime, including politicians, Catholic leaders, and regular citizens who were willing to voice their disdain for Marcos and his cronies. However, there is little doubt that the voice of the Reformers was, for many years, one man: Benigno Aquino Jr, known to Filipinos simply as “Ninoy.”

Aquino was elected as a Senator in 1967, and almost immediately developed a reputation as a staunch critic of Marcos. Aquino was arrested shortly after Marcos declared Martial Law, on charges of murder, possession of firearms, and collaboration with the Communist NPA. In response to these trumped-up charges Aquino conducted a 40 day hunger strike while imprisoned, breaking his fast only when his friends pointed out that even Christ only fasted for 40 days. After 5 years of imprisonment, Aquino was sentenced to death by firing squad, a sentence which was commuted by Marcos to prevent Aquino from becoming a martyr. Health problems forced Aquino to undergo a heart operation, and he was permitted to leave the Philippines to be treated in the United States on the condition that he would not speak against the Marcos administration, and that he would eventually return to the Philippines.

Aquino did not bite his tongue. After recovering from his surgery, he began speaking against Marcos at every opportunity, saying that “a pact with the devil is no pact at all.” However, Aquino always intended to return, and during his 7 years in exile repeatedly affirmed his intent to go back to the Philippines. Eventually he did, and in 1983 he began the difficult process of returning to the Philippines. He was well aware of the risks of returning, saying “If it’s my fate to die by an assassin’s bullet, so be it. But I cannot be petrified by inaction, or fear of assassination, and therefore stay in the side.” When Marcos warned Aqunio to stay out of politics, Ninoy replied “The Filipino is worth dying for.”

Ninoy Aquino was murdered by a gunshot from an unknown assailant while disembarking his plane at Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983. To this day, the facts of the assassination have never been definitively proven, but it is believed by many that it was carried out at the order of Ferdinand Marcos. Ninoy’s murder sparked 2 1/2 years of turmoil in the Philippines, culminating in the February 1986 People Power revolution, after which this game is named.

The Reformers in People Power use nonviolent techniques to attempt to sway opinion against Marcos and towards open democratic elections and liberal government. Activists are the primary piece of the Reformers, and represent the politicians, local leaders, and committed activists which form the backbone of the grassroots campaign against Marcos. The Reformers also place Bases on the map, which are the political and community centers that support efforts to reform government and win elections. Bases count towards Reformers victory, as they are laying the foundation for future reforms. But in order to win, the Reformers will also need to generate Opposition to the Marcos government.

The main tool used to generate Opposition is the Protest Operation, which represents all forms of nonviolent direct action: sit-ins, rallies, sabotage, boycotts, protest, and the refusal to perform acts in support of the regime (among many others). In People Power, Protest places a Protest marker (if there isn’t one already present), activates all Activists present in the selected space, and shifts it towards Opposition. While a Protest marker is in a space, Troops and Police may not exit the space (they must handle the protesting crowd and provide security).

The Reformers also generate Opposition by co- opting acts of Terror. The inability of the Government to protect its citizens is a powerful motivator, and the Canvass Special Activity sets any space with a Terror marker directly to Opposition. This action harnesses the reaction of the population to violence and turns it against the Government, convincing them that the Reformers would better end the threat of violence – whether from Government Reprisal or NPA Terror. Speaking of violence, the boundaries between the various violent and nonviolent movements against Marcos were fluid, so People Power models this back and forth movement through the Persuade Operation, which disperses NPA Guerrillas and flips Strikes to Protest. The Reformers also use the Convert Special Activity to convince Troops and Police to lay down arms and join the Protest.

While the Reformers draw heavily from Gandhi’s nonviolent factions, they are not identical. Gandhi’s fight for self-rule was protracted, and the 30 years of struggle used tactics designed to encourage reform which are modeled in Gandhi’s Civil Disobedience and Non-Cooperation. The nonviolent struggle in the Philippines was a groundswell of dissatisfaction with the rule of the Marcoses, which is reflected in the quick, powerful Protest of the Reformers. The similar role of Protest markers in both games demonstrates the power of massed demonstration, and the effectiveness of common citizens participating in nonviolent tactics.

For more on nonviolent resistance, I recommend Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict by Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan.

Next week we’ll look at the NPA faction’s various iterations in People Power’s development.

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Previous Articles:

Laban! Chapter 1: Corruption and Patronage in People Power

Laban! Chapter 2: Support, Opposition, and Resistance in People Power

Laban! Chapter 3: Violence and Nonviolence in People Power