Political analyst say nothing much has changed, FVR skips leap
As the entire nation commemorated the 33rd anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution on Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) on Monday, February 25, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte urged the public to uphold democracy in high regard.
“Let us never forget the sacrifice of those who came before us so that we may always be motivated to preserve and protect the democratic way of life that we enjoy today,” Duterte said as reported by Rappler.
In his speech during the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) campaign rally in Cebu, the chief executive said that the “freedom and liberty” won in the bloodless revolt must be valued and cared for by the younger generation.
“I am hopeful that this occasion will inspire all of us, especially the younger generation, to deeply value the freedom and liberty that we won in EDSA. May we all have a profound sense of appreciation and understanding of what we lost and what we reclaimed,” he said.
“As the entire nation prepares for the upcoming midterm elections this May, let us always remember how this historic revolution restored our power to collectively chart our future through the ballot,” the president added as reported by The Philippine Star.
As observed in the previous years, Duterte once again skipped the commemoration rites in EDSA. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo denied that it was because of the leader’s close relationship with the Marcoses whose patriarch was ousted in power 33 years ago.
“The president has been working tirelessly, including on weekends. (Duterte would be) in union with the celebrators as well as in recognition and reminder to all that our government is a fruit of democracy,” the spokesperson said.
Robredo: EDSA is not about the ‘dilawans’
Vice President Leni Robredo appealed to the people to refrain from associating the EDSA Revolution to her “yellow-tagged” opposition group — Liberal Party and remember the momentous event as a celebration of unity among Filipinos.
“Sana ma-break lang iyong misconception na iyong EDSA ay mga ‘dilawan.’ Hindi ito defined by isang kulay, hindi siya defined by any group, hindi siya defined by pulitika (I hope we break the misconception that EDSA is just all about the dilawans. It’s not defined by one color, it’s not defined by any group, it’s not defined by politics),” Robredo said.
“Kapag ganito iyong pagtingin natin, insulto ito sa napakaraming mga Pilipino na wala namang political affiliations noong 1986 (If we view the EDSA Revolution that way, it would be an insult to so many Filipinos who didn’t have any political affiliations in 1986),” she added.
As she led the EDSA rites in Naga City, Robredo said that the Filipino people should be inspired by the power of unity. She also emphasized the sacrifices made by those who endured the atrocities of Martial law declared by late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
“Kahit gaano ka-imposible iyong tinitingnan na task, iyong pinaka-lesson sa atin ng EDSA, basta magkaisa iyong mga Pilipino, iyong imposible puwedeng puwedeng maging posible (No matter how impossible the task is, the main lesson from EDSA is that if Filipinos unite, the impossible can certainly become possible),” Robredo stated.
Ito, talagang pag-alala sa lahat nang Pilipinong nagsakripisyo. Kasi nangyari lang naman ang EDSA dahil nagkaisa iyong mga Pilipino (This is really a commemoration of all Filipinos who made sacrifices. The EDSA Revolution only happened because Filipinos became united),” the vice president added.
Noynoy, other officials and sectors on EDSA’s 33rd
Former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said that people must remember the lesson of EDSA Revolution that elected her mother the late Corazon Aquino as the Philippines’ first female president.
“Kung hindi na relevant, malimutan niyo ang aral ng nakalipas, garantisadong uulitin niyo ang pagkakamali (If it’s no longer relevant and you’ve forgotten the lessons of the past, guaranteed, you will repeat the mistakes),” Noynoy said.
The young Aquino noted that forgetting the dark days of Martial law would subject the people to yet another tyrannical rule. However, he said that it is up to the electorate to decide who to place in the political seats this upcoming midterm election.
Nasa inyo ’yun, demokrasya. Nasa inyo kung gusto niyong ulitin ang madilim na bahagi ng kasaysayan. (It’s on you, the democracy. It’s on you if you want to experience again the dark chapter of our history),” he added.
Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra emphasized that the current administration is still upholding to the democratic government acquired from the victory of the People Power Revolution.
“We Filipinos continue to enjoy the liberties that we regained after the People Power revolution in 1986. Our government institutions function with vibrancy under a democratic regime,” Guevarra said.
EDSA People Power Commission chairman Pastor Saycon said in English and Filipino said that the two million “countrymen, nameless, faceless and colorless. No yellow, red, left or right” Filipinos who marched in 1986 should be deemed as “the real heroes.”
Analyst: Nothing much changed since; Ramos skips leap
University of the Philippines political science professor Clarita Carlos explained in a panel discussion aired by TMT TV that the revolt had impacted a very little change in the political landscape of the Philippines
“There hasn’t been much change after 33 years. We should not call it a revolution because there was just a circulation of elites. Pinalitan mo si Marcos et al, ng Aquino, Roxas (You just changed Marcos et al, with Aquino, Roxas),” Carlos said as reported by The Manila Times.
The analyst emphasized that the country’s political system “is still broken” due to the fact that the EDSA rally did not impact a structural change.
“First, we are still under a presidential system, where every 2,000 days you change the face of the president; and every 1,000 days you change the face of Congress,” Carlos explained.
Prominent people who participated in the revolt agreed with such a sentiment. Theater artist Cecile Alvarez said that despite such, the fruits of EDSA revolt must not be dismissed, including the freedom of the press.
“The freedom of the press was restored nu’ng ibinalik natin ang demokrasya at sa EDSA mapayapang itinakwil ang diktadurya, walang karahasan at naging modelo sa buong mundo (when we restored democracy and we rejected dictatorship without violence and has become a model globally),” Alvarez said.
Former president Fidel Ramos skipped the anniversary rites this year as he was in much pain due to his gout. The 90-year-old leader annually reenacts the famous leap he did when he was misinformed that the Marcos family fled the country in the height of the revolution.
