In February 1986, a combined military mutiny and an urban people's uprising of four days ousted Marcos from power. With the intervention of the United States, Marcos and his family and his inner circle of advisers were forced into exile in Hawaii. Relatively bloodless (more people are killed in an ordinary election day), this military mutiny and people's uprising mobilized millions into the streets of EDSA (a main highway fronting two major military camps in Metropolitan Manila), effectively paralyzing the military's will to mount any resistance.

Running against Marcos in a snap presidential election held fifteen days earlier, Corazon Aquino's extraordinary ascent to actual power via the successful mutiny cum uprising was underpinned by a fractious coalition representing diverse interests and political tendencies: the military rebels led by the RAM (originally, the Reform the Armed Forces Movement), the Catholic Church hierarchy, the anti-crony segment of big business, the anti-Marcos traditional political opposition with its conservative and liberal factions, and a loose grouping of left of centre movements, NGOs and people's organizations. Apart from Aquino, the leading lights of this uneasy grouping brought together by the extraordinary force of circumstances included then Defence Minister Juan Ponce Enrile; General Fidel V. Ramos, then chief of the national constabulary; Cardinal Sin of the Catholic hierarchy; and Colonel Gregorio Honasan of RAM.

This fragile coalition was torn asunder by a series of coup attempts against the Aquino administration. Fundamental policy differences within the Cabinet, such as the handling of the communist-led armed challenge and perception by anti-Aquino military and political elements that the administration had neither legitimacy nor decisiveness, provoked major realignments within the ruling coalition. In light of the coup attempts against the government, Enrile, who was then serving as Defence Minister, was ousted. The officials identified with the liberal faction, such as Labour Minister Augusto Sanchez, Local Government Minister Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. and, subsequently, the presidential Executive Secretary (Joker Arroyo) were also forced out of the Cabinet.