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COUP D'ETAT, DECEMBER 1989
These pictures were taken by me during the last attempt to topple the government of Corazon Aquino. I was 19 back then. I told my father I was going to a friend's house but I had his camera gear (a Nikon FG SLR + some accessories) already stashed behind some plants in our front yard. Since then I've lost many of the pictures I took (I am not really the most organized of people) and I decided to post these here before they, too, disappeared.
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| Government AIFV on the prowl at EDSA
Photo taken along EDSA. The AIFV crew wasn't really sure where to go. It would lurch forward a few feet, then stop, then lurch again. It looked like the commander and the driver were at odds whether to turn or go straight. In the end they settled on going forward (this picture). The guy leaning against the turret seemed pretty comfortable. I am not sure if they were patrolling or headed back to camp. By this time fighting was confined to Makati and this tank was headed the other way. A friend of mine told me of a tank which drove up their street. The crew was looking for a sari-sari store to buy Coke.
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| V-150 on Santolan Road
V-150 of the 4th Light Armored Brigade. It says so on the turret side - crudely written in chalk. The rest of the vehicle is covered in mud and was probably rushed in from the provinces to reinforce government troops. Crewmembers were discussing with residents the damage to houses and businesses resulting from the early morning fighting. Traffic was already moving and life was almost going about as normal. |
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| Guard post at Camp Aguinaldo entrance
This was the morning after the failed final rebel assault on the camp. It had been blasted by an LVTH-6 105 mm gun. Note sheepish guard embarrassed by the attention and kibitzers, most of whom have their hands behind their back for some reason.
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| Camp Aguinaldo guardpost
Another view of the guard post. I understand the guard post has since been turned into a hardened bunker.
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| Stalled and abandoned LVTH-6
One of four used by rebel Marines. This one was used to punch holes through Camp Aguinaldo's walls during the see-saw battle for the camp (judging by the whitewash ground into the front ramp and the bits of concrete left on top - it must have gone through a pretty high wall). "RAM-SFP" stood for "Reform the Armed Forces Movement / Soldiers of the Filipino People".
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| Stalled LVTH-6
Front view of stalled LVTH-6. Kids were playing in, on and around the vehicle, turning it into a kind of armored jungle gym. I had to wait my turn to get in. This was later in the afternoon. The guards had disappeared and the vehicle was left in the open. All shells were removed, as were the machine gun and loose equipment. The inside was littered with empty shell tubes and there was fuel all over the floor.
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| Stalled LVTH-6
Just how big is an LVT? Compare it to the height of the soldier walking beside it. This was the morning after fierce fighting along Santolan Road and the northern part of Camp Aguinaldo. The soldiers just bought ice cream from the vendor in the background doing brisk business selling to kibitzers and "uziseros", myself included.
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| Fighting at its ugliest
The remains of rebel Marine Sergeant Roger Salvador's LVTH-6, knocked out by recoilless rifle fire as it punched its way through the Santolan gate at Camp Aguinaldo. The 90 mm recoilless rifle that knocked it out was manned by Corp. Robert Salvador, Roger's brother, who was on the government side. All in the vehicle were killed and Robert found out only later that his brother was in it.
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| Rebel V-150 at Camp Aguinaldo
This rebel V-150 was parked by the government side to close up a breach in the north wall of Camp Aguinaldo. Soldiers guarding the breach were hamming it up for a group of Japanese tourists with cameras, posing and trying to look mean with aviator sunglasses on. Lookie-loos were everywhere. Damage-wise, the V-150 looks like it took a hit from a high caliber round. Note the hole in the upper right front of the vehicle. .50 caliber? The turret gunner's seat was caked in blood.
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| Close up of the damage
The entry hole is pretty clear in this shot. There were some copper streaks along the front and sides indicating small arms rounds glancing off. One of them is on the lower left of this photo.
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| Government V-150 races cab on EDSA
Not really a case of soldiers from the provinces getting city-happy. This APC and the cab probably needed to be elsewhere in a hurry. Rule of thumb when the other driver has a machine gun: Do not cut him off. Actually the troops were very friendly.
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Disabled RAM V150 used as makeshift barrier
This is a composite of a few pictures taken of the disabled RAM V-150 in the previous gallery. I was pretty close and was trying to avoid getting any of the people around the APC into the picture. You can see I am not Bulitt Marquez. I was more concermed about getting the markings for a model/diorama I never made.
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| LVTH6 interior
Two views from the interior of the stalled LVTH-6 from Gallery 2. I could have taken more pictures but there were all these kids inside playing. The vehicle stalled and was abandoned by rebel troops, secured by government forces and later left alone. It quickly became a gawker's attraction. Mea culpa. First photo is of the breech of the 105mm gun. The second is of the gunner's station (or is it the driver's? I really should have taken better notes).
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| V-100
This V-100 had one of its M1919 7.62 mm machine guns replaced with an M60 MG. Photo taken along Santolan Road near the EDSA intersection.
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| CAPCOM V-150 along Buendia near Paseo de Roxas
V-150 of the PC Capitol Command. There was a lull in the fighting against rebel Scout Rangers holding the Mandarin Oriental hotel (and most of the business district) a few hundred meters south of the street corner while negotiations were going on. Everyone seems relaxed here, and a few brave civilians are seen listening to stories from the troops. |
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| CAPCOM V-150 earlier
CAPCOM V-150 firing its machine guns at rebel positions a couple of hundred meters away. Candidates for the Darwin award are seen grouped at the right and left of this photo. The ones on the left were particulary stupid. One of them got hit after this photo was taken. The crowd scattered and the victim was left trying to hold on to a lampost but slid to the ground. A taxi cab sped up, the victim was tossed in the trunk and the cab sped off towards Makati Medical Center. A kid ran up later and showed off to me and a Japanese news crew what looked like the remains of a 7.62mm bullet jacket which he said came off the bullet that hit the guy. There were about 5 more pictures in this series and this was not the best of them. It was the only one I could find. I'll try and look for the rest the next time I get back to Manila.
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