HUNDREDS of Filipinos who gathered at the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace in EDSA Quezon City yesterday were told that the People Power revolution that toppled the dictator President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. 39 years ago “is a stark reminder that abuse of power is bound for an ugly end.”
Makabayan bloc senatorial candidate Rep. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela Women PL) underscored the central lesson of the 1986 mass action in EDSA is that “the unity of the Filipino masses is more than a match to political power.
Former senator Francis Pangilinan, on the other hand said, “EDSA is not all about kicking out a dictator. This is also regaining our dignity and our right to shape the country’s future. The fight still continues, not only for democracy, but for a very pressing issue: freedom from hunger.”
“Today, we must harness that same collective power to dismantle political dynasties, end corruption, and build a society that truly serves the interests of ordinary Filipinos,” Brosas said.
During the Holy Mass, Shrine Rector Fr. Jerome Secillano said the events in 1986 was both a political and a religious event.
“The people responded to the call of then Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin to come to EDSA. The call wasn’t only ‘Sobra Na! Tama Na!’ The millions of Filipinos in EDSA also shouted ‘Hail Mary,’” said Secillano.
Earlier, former Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Archbishop Socrates Villegas said: “It is imperative for the youth to be more involved on social issues that affect the nation and the world instead of living only for themselves. Be men and women for others.”
Brosas said the same unity of purpose that sparked the Edsa revolution is needed again to hold both the Marcos and Duterte families to account for their crimes against the people.
“The Marcos family has yet to return the billions of pesos plundered during the dictatorship. The Dutertes must be held accountable for the thousands killed in the drug war and other human rights violations. And now, VP Sara Duterte must answer for misusing public funds,” she said.
For her part, Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros said the people should take inspiration from the courage of the youth who were “not cowed into fear and activity” when they actively participated to overthrow the Marcos dictatorship in 1986.
GENERALLY PEACEFUL
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said the commemoration of the 39th anniversary of the Edsa revolution was “generally peaceful.”
He said 51,172 policemen were deployed nationwide to maintain security and public order.
The number included 87,747 policemen who were “strategically positioned, while regional police offices deployed personnel in key areas to oversee activities and prevent security threats.”
“Minor protest actions were monitored but concluded without incident,” Marbil said.
NON-WORKING HOLIDAY
In response to statements critical of the Palace decision to downgrade February 25, which has been a non-working holiday in the past years, into a special working holiday, the Palace Press Office said: “The (administration) is neither erasing nor changing history, especially in connection with the Edsa People Power Revolution of 1986, amid the low-key observance of the holiday and the administration’s decision to declare it as a special working holiday. It is the President’s prerogative.”
Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said even universities and other schools were free to celebrate the event, including suspending classes and holding activities that they see fit to mark the occasion.
She also said President Marcos Jr. never stopped or prevented the observance of the holiday or the conduct of any activities in connection with it since he assumed office in 2022.
On the other hand, the Partido Demokratiko-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), in a statement, urged the public to continue working together to ensure that Filipinos will have a better future.
“This will only be possible by protecting the freedom of expression, sustaining the fight against corruption, and seeking accountability from all public officials,” it said.
AQUINO CENTER AND MUSEUM
In Tarlac, home of the Aquino family, the Aquino Center and Museum was opened to the public for guided tours and visits.
The Ninoy & Cory Aquino Foundation said the museum highlights the lives and heroism of the late senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., retraced the steps of the late President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III “in leading our country back to the light of democracy after decades of darkness,” and exhibited the “leadership of President Noynoy Aquino – the fulfilment of the promises of his parents, and of freedom and transparency.”
For its part, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilippino (BMP) president and senatorial aspirant Luke Espiritu said the headway gained by the people in defeating the Marcos regime fell short of bringing about genuine reforms.
“Despite the efforts of workers and mass movements to topple the Marcos dictatorship, elite rule was restored after EDSA. The dictator and his minions would not have survived it. Neither politically nor literally if the masses had meted out revolutionary justice. Elite dynastic rule would have been crushed had the political and social revolution of the working class prevailed,” Espiritu said.
Labor leader and Partido Lakas ng Masa senatorial bet Leody de Guzman said the people’s fight for clean governance and social justice still rages. – With Victor Reyes, Raymond Africa, and Jocelyn Montemayor
