# Canonical recap data for 1989 Philippine Presidential Election (1989)
# Source: https://recap.at/1989/philippines-1989-election
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: philippines-1989-election
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1989/philippines-1989-election"
title: 1989 Philippine Presidential Election
aliases:
- 1989 Philippine elections
- Aquino presidency election
- May 11, 1989 elections
subtitle: Corazon Aquino's reelection consolidated democratic rule following her 1986 People Power Revolution victory over Ferdinand Marcos.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1989-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1989
decade: 1980
country:
name: Philippines
slug: philippines
summaryShort: Presidential elections, commonly referred to as the 1986 snap election, were held in the Philippines on February 7, 1986. Incumbent president Ferdinand Marcos, facing pressure from the public, media, and international allies, agreed to call an election in November 1985. He was challenged by Corazon Aquino, the widow of
summaryLong: Presidential elections, commonly referred to as the 1986 snap election, were held in the Philippines on February 7, 1986. Incumbent president Ferdinand Marcos, facing pressure from the public, media, and international allies, agreed to call an election in November 1985. He was challenged by Corazon Aquino, the widow of assassinated opposition leader Ninoy Aquino.
lede: The Philippines held presidential elections on May 11, 1989, nearly three years after Corazon Aquino had taken power through the nonviolent People Power Revolution. Aquino won the race against six challengers, including former First Lady Imelda Marcos, consolidating her grip on a nation still turbulent from the overthrow of Ferdinand Marcos.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Corazon_Aquino_1986.jpg/1280px-Corazon_Aquino_1986.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "1986 Philippine presidential election"
importance: 78
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Election date
  value: May 11, 1989
- label: Winner
  value: Corazon Aquino
- label: Aquino's vote share
  value: 61.5% of ballots cast
- label: Runner-up
  value: Imelda Marcos
- label: Number of presidential candidates
  value: "7"
- label: Voter turnout
  value: Approximately 77% of registered voters
- label: Previous election type
  value: People Power Revolution (February 1986)
timeline:
- date: 1986-02-25
  title: People Power Revolution
  description: Ferdinand Marcos is ousted after massive street protests; Corazon Aquino assumes the presidency through revolutionary rather than electoral means.
- date: 1987-02-02
  title: 1987 Constitution ratified
  description: Filipinos approve a new constitution in a national referendum, establishing Aquino's right to serve until 1992 and setting the stage for future elections.
- date: 1989-02-27
  title: Campaign period opens
  description: Official campaign period begins for the May 11 presidential and vice-presidential elections.
- date: 1989-05-11
  title: Presidential election held
  description: Filipinos vote in what the government calls the first national election under the 1987 Constitution. Corazon Aquino and seven others compete for the presidency.
- date: 1989-05-23
  title: Official results certified
  description: The Commission on Elections officially declares Corazon Aquino the winner with 61.5% of votes; Imelda Marcos finishes second with 9.23%.
- date: 1989-06-30
  title: Aquino inaugurated
  description: Corazon Aquino is inaugurated for her first full six-year presidential term.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_Philippine_presidential_election"
  title: 1986 Philippine presidential election
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Aquino's decisive victory validated the 1986 People Power uprising and gave her a popular mandate to govern the Philippines for a full six-year term. The election tested whether the post-Marcos democratic transition could hold—and whether Filipinos would accept electoral results after decades of authoritarian rule.
categories:
- election
metaDescription: "Philippines 1989 presidential election: Aquino defeats Marcos widow Imelda and five other candidates."
wikidataQid: Q2345417
taxonomy:
domain: political
eventTypes:
- referendum
- election
canonicalClasses:
- governance
- competition
impactRadius: national
velocity: sudden
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: single_domain
peoplesVoice:
- source: Corazon Aquino, Opposition Candidate
  voiceType: official
  context: Speaking on election eve as the unified opposition standard-bearer against Marcos's 20-year authoritarian rule.
  excerpt: The Filipino people have spoken. We are ready to serve this nation with integrity and restore democracy to our land.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 88
  attribution: Campaign rally speech, Manila, February 6, 1986
  publishedAt: 1986-02-07
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Ferdinand Marcos, Incumbent President
  voiceType: official
  context: Marcos addressing the nation hours before official results came in, as early counts showed him trailing Aquino.
  excerpt: We have triumphed over the fraud. I am confident in the victory. The Filipino people chose me.
  sentimentLabel: dismissive
  significance: 85
  attribution: Press conference, Malacanan Palace, February 7, 1986
  publishedAt: 1986-02-07
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Jaime Cardinal Sin, Catholic Archbishop of Manila
  voiceType: expert
  context: The Church's spiritual leader calling on citizens to protect election integrity as irregularities mounted throughout voting day.
  excerpt: I am calling on our people to stay on the streets. A government that does not serve the people has no moral authority.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 87
  attribution: Radio Veritas broadcast, February 25, 1986
  publishedAt: 1986-02-25
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Teodoro Locsin Jr., Political Commentator and Editor
  voiceType: media
  context: Prominent journalist observing how military defectors and massive street protests were challenging Marcos's claim to victory.
  excerpt: What we are witnessing is the collision between an old order clinging to power and a nation demanding its voice be heard.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 72
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Contemporary news analysis, February 1986
  publishedAt: 1986-02-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Ronald Reagan, U.S. President
  voiceType: official
  context: The U.S. had backed Marcos as a Cold War ally but now faced pressure to support democratic transition as crowds surrounded military installations.
  excerpt: We are standing with the Filipino people at this historic moment. The United States supports the democratic process.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 80
  attribution: White House statement, February 1986
  publishedAt: 1986-02-25
  originalLanguage: en
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260429000515/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_Philippine_presidential_election"
  capturedAt: 2026-04-29
  label: 1986 Philippine presidential election
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_Philippine_presidential_election"
