MANILA, Philippines - The defense department unveils today a mini-museum that commemorates the defection of former defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile and former Armed Forces vice chief Fidel Ramos from the Marcos administration, which paved the way for the historic 1986 EDSA revolution.
Department of National Defense (DND) spokesman Eduardo Batac said the mini-museum, which is located in the DND building at Camp Aguinaldo, will display memorabilia from key personalities of the popular revolt.
“We are going to inaugurate the mini-museum for EDSA People Power revolution at the old conference room of the Department of National Defense. We are inaugurating it for the EDSA celebrations,” Batac said.
Among the prominent personalities invited to the inauguration are President Aquino, whose mother Corazon became president after the revolt; Ramos, who succeeded Mrs. Aquino to the presidency; Enrile, now the Senate president; and former Reform the Armed Forces Movement leader Sen. Gringo Honasan.
The event, to be held at 2 p.m., will also be attended by DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Ricardo David, Jr.
The mini-museum is housed in the exact location where Ramos and Enrile announced their withdrawal of support from the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The unveiling of the mini-museum is held exactly 25 years after the historic event.
The mini-museum will display a huge photo of the press conference where Ramos and Enrile made the announcement, which was one of the turning points of the revolt.
Batac said the wide-angle photo is about 10 meters wide and 1.5 meters high. He said the actual conference table used by Ramos and Enrile will also be displayed.
Other memorabilia to be housed in the mini-museum were the jacket of Enrile and the blue shirt of Ramos, which he used when he jumped upon learning that Marcos had left the country.
The museum will also display the boots of Honasan, who used to be an aide of Enrile, the replica of the statue of Virgin Mary which was used during the revolt, and the microphones used during the press conference. The memorabilia were donated by the key players of the EDSA revolution.
Batac said the mini-museum used to be a conference room of the DND building. He said the space became idle after a new DND conference room was constructed.
“After a conference, we proceeded to that place and he (Gazmin) made a comment that we should put it to better use. It was empty and unutilized. From there sprang the idea that it should be turned into a museum,” he said.
Batac said the mini-museum will also serve as a holding room for DND guests.
“(We will) use the old conference room both as museum and for purposes of accommodating large group of visitors at DND. As of now, we are using the ante room which can accommodate six people,” he said.
On Feb. 22, 1986, Enrile and Ramos announced that they had resigned from their respective posts and expressed support for Mrs. Aquino, widow of Marcos’ political rival Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr.
Marcos asked the two to surrender but they did not heed the president’s orders.
Manila archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin later called on the public to support the former Marcos officials by going to EDSA.
Marcos left the country on Feb. 25 after serving as Philippine president for 20 years.
A challenge to P-Noy
Meanwhile, lawmakers said yesterday President Aquino could launch a “fresh people power revolution” to build on the legacy of his mother, but this time focusing on justice and the economy.
House Majority Leader and Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales said “on the silver anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, it is but fitting for the President to start a new one that would build on the gains of EDSA.”
He said Aquino has already begun strengthening democracy restored by his mother when he assumed office last year.
“It’s but appropriate that P-Noy has the chance to build on his mother’s legacy,” Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara said in a statement.
“To complete the people power mission, P-Noy should focus on enhancing our economic and social rights like the right to employment, the right to a living wage, the right to an education, affordable health care and housing,” Angara said.
“The difference is that these latter rights require a lot of work from the government.”
Ang Kasangga party-list Rep. Teodorico Haresco said Aquino is in the best position to launch “a fresh people power revolution” not only because of his popularity and his being the son of the democracy icon, but “because he is the President with all his powers to do good for our nation.”
He said economic policies have been largely targeted to key industries or sectors but “the power of ordinary citizens have been largely ignored.” – Paolo Romero