1986 – 90 Philippine coup attempts From 1986 to 1987 , there were six plots to overthrow Philippine President Corazon Aquino involving various members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . A significant number of the military participants in these attempts belonged to the Reform the Armed Forces Movement ( RAM ) , while others were identified loyalists of former President Ferdinand Marcos , who had been deposed in the People Power Revolution in February 1986 . Two attempts — the November 1986 " God Save the Queen Plot " and the July 1987 plot — were uncovered and quashed by authorities before they could be operationalised . The other plots were repelled with little or no violence , the deadliest being the August 1987 coup attempts which left 53 dead . An even more serious coup attempt would be staged against the Aquino government in December 1989 . Following the plot ' s failure , President Aquino established a fact - finding commission headed by then - COMELEC Chairman Hilario Davide , Jr . The report would become known as the Davide Commission Report , and it was mandated to investigate and provide a full report on the series of coup attempts against the Aquino government . Manila Hotel plot . The first occurred on 6 July 1986 , when some 490 armed soldiers and 15 , 000 civilians loyal to Marcos occupied the Manila Hotel for 37 hours . At the hotel , Marcos ' s vice - presidential running mate Arturo Tolentino announced that Marcos had authorised him to temporarily take over the government , took his oath as Acting President , and designated a cabinet . The public remained generally unaffected by this incident , and it ended without violence by 8 July . God Save the Queen Plot . A more serious conspiracy unfolded some months later known as the " God Save the Queen Plot " . The Davide Commission concluded that National Defense Secretary Enrile and members of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement ( RAM ) . Scheduled for 11 November 1986 , the plot was discovered by government several days in advance and was deliberately leaked to the Philippine Daily Inquirer , thus thwarting the plan . The government then learnt that the plot was rescheduled for 22 November 1986 . On November 22 , the military was placed on red alert and the rebel troops were blockaded , leading them to return to barracks . The following day , Aquino announced she had sacked Enrile as Defense Secretary and that she would revamp her Cabinet , " to give the government a chance to start all over again . " GMA - 7 incident . From 27 – 29 January 1987 , around 100 soldiers led by Colonel Oscar Canlas seized the main compound of GMA Network in Quezon City , while other troops attempted in vain to capture Sangley Point Air Force Base in Cavite . One rebel soldier was killed , while thirty five people were injured . Black Saturday incident . On Black Saturday 1987 ( 18 April ) , 56 rebel soldiers staged a raid on Fort Bonifacio . It was repelled within the morning , with one rebel soldier dead . MIA plot . In July 1987 , a plot to stage another coup attempt through a military takeover of the Manila International Airport was uncovered before it could be implemented , with four officers being court - martialled for the plot . August 1987 coup attempt . On 28 August 1987 , the most serious attempt up to then to overthrow Aquino ' s government was launched by members of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement led by Colonel Gregorio Honasan , who had been a former top aide of Enrile . In the early morning of the 28th , rebel soldiers launched an attack on Malacañan Palace . The siege was repelled within a few hours , with several military and civilian casualties including Aquino ' s son , current President Benigno Aquino III , who was wounded . Honasan himself led the soldiers that seized portions of Camp Aguinaldo , including the headquarters of the Department of National Defense . Rebel soldiers also seized parts of Villamor Airbase , three television stations in Manila , military camps in Pampanga and Cebu , and the airport in Legaspi City . Various statements broadcast by the rebels referred to " the overindulgence in politics which now pervades in society " , the supposed mishandling of the communist insurgency , and the deplorable economic condition of the military rebels . By day ' s end , government troops were able to recapture most of the rebel - held facilities , and the coup had fizzled out by the 29th . 53 were dead and more than 200 wounded ; many of the fatalities were unarmed civilians who were fired upon by rebels after they were jeered by the crowd . Honasan himself evaded capture , while Enrile ( by then a Senator ) , denied involvement in the coup . Following the coup attempt , the Aquino government seemingly veered to the right , dismissing perceived left - leaning officials such as Executive Secretary Joker Arroyo and tacitly authorising the establishment of armed , quasi - military groups to combat the ongoing communist insurgency . It was also believed that General Fidel Ramos – who remained loyal to Aquino – emerged as the second most - powerful person in government following his successful quelling of the coup . Across - the - board wage increases for soldiers were also granted . Aquino herself meanwhile sued Philippine Star columnist Louie Beltran for libel after he wrote that the President hid under her bed when the Palace was under siege . January 1989 plot . On 5 January 1989 , some soldiers seized Camp Cawa - Cawa in Zamboanga City . Rizal Alih killed seven people , including General Eduardo Batallia and Colonel Romeo Abendan of the Philippine Constabulary . Government troops fired at and bombarded the camp , which later collapsed . The camp was then rebuilt and was renamed in memory of General Batallia . Alih meanwhile escaped south to Malaysia , and was arrested in 2009 in a manhunt operation and sentenced to life imprisonment . December 1989 coup attempt . On 1 December 1989 , three rebel T - 28D Trojans ( " Tora - Tora " ) raked Malacañan Palace with rockets and gunfire . The rebel soldiers wrongly assumed that they achieved air superiority by effectively neutralising the assets of the 5th Fighter Wing of the Philippine Air Force . Rebel soldiers in Mactan successfully trapped most of the F - 5s and combat - ready pilots , preventing them from interfering with rebel operations . Meanwhile , at Basa Air Base , only three F - 5A and an F - 5B remained partial mission capability . Squadron Commander ACER Atienza of the 6th Fighter Squadron ordered his maintenance crew to expedite bringing the F - 5s back to full operation . Later that same day , three F - 5s under Atienza ' s command fought the rebel T - 28s , culminating in the destruction of the " Tora - Tora " on the ground at Sangley Point . The elimination of the T - 28s turned the tide against the rebels , but at the cost of the F - 5A flown by Atienza , who died in one of the strafing runs . Atienza was posthumously awarded the Medal of Valor for his heroism , and the airfield at Sangley Point was renamed in his memory . March 1990 coup attempt . On 4 March 1990 , suspended Cagayan Governor Rodolfo Aguinaldo and his armed men of 200 seized Hotel Delfino in the provincial capital of Tuguegarao as a result of the previous failed coup against President Aquino . Brigader General Oscar Florendo , his chauffeur , four members of the civilian staff , and several others were held hostage , led an another mutiny to end . Several hours later , a gunfight ensued intending to kill Aguinaldo and his men , and one of them was found dead in a checkpoint shootout . Brigadier General Florendo and twelve others were also dead and ten more wounded , while Aguinaldo was slightly wounded in a vehicular gunfight , later fleeing to the mountains . October 1990 coup attempt . The last coup attempt against President Aquino happened on 4 October 1990 , when mutinying soldiers staged a dawn raid on an army base in Mindanao . The seizure lasted for two days , ending with Brigadier General Danilo Lim and 21 others capitualting to the government on 6 October .