Presidential bets remember EDSA legacy, shortcomings
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 3:30 p.m.) — Presidential candidates in the May polls remembered the 1986 People Power Revolution as a peaceful event that tells the story of Filipinos who came together to fight for freedom.
The nation is commemorating the 36th anniversary of the non-violent uprising that toppled the regime of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The event restored the country’s democracy and installed Corazon Aquino as the president.
In a statement, Vice President Leni Robredo said the spirit of the revolution goes beyond surnames.
“Higit pa sa pangalan o apelyido ang diwa ng araw na ito. Ang kuwento ng EDSA, kuwento ng pagtindig at paglaban para sa pangarap ng paglaya. Kuwento ito ng pagkakaisa,” Robredo said.
(The essence of this day goes beyond a name or a surname. The story of EDSA is a story about standing up and fighting for a dream to be free. It is a story of unity.)
What made the uprising successful was Filipinos’ love for country, the vice president stressed.
“Tuwing isinasabuhay natin ang pagmamahal na ito—People Power man o People’s campaign; sa mapayapang rebolusyon man o napakahalagang halalan—kaisa natin ang lahat ng henerasyong nauna at susunod pa: sa pagtindig, pagkakapit-bisig at pagbubukas ng loob sa kapwa, sa ngalan ng isang maunlad, mapagpalaya at makataong bukas.”
(Every time we practice this kind of love—through People Power or People’s campaign, through a peaceful revolution or an important election—we are one with the generations before us and the next in standing up, working hand in hand, and being open to others, in the name of a prosperous, liberating and humane future.)
For Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, the 1986 revolt is a reminder that power comes from people.
“Tao ang nagbigay, tao din ang babawi… Bagay lamang na ito’y paulit-ulit nating kilalanin at isalin sa mga susunod na salin-lahi to remind them na huwag tayong mang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan,” he said.
(People are the ones who give power, they are also the ones who will take it back… It’s proper that we continuously recognize it and pass on to the next generation to remind them to not abuse power.)
He also said that those who committed abuses and crimes against Filipinos before the bloodless revolt should be made accountable for their misdeeds.
Complete EDSA’s shortcomings
Leody de Guzman, standard bearer of Partido Lakas ng Masa, so much was wasted after the first People Power Revolution.
“Nanatili ang kronysismo, kagutuman, pagkakabaon sa utang panlabas, kawalan ng hustisyang panlipunan at serbisyo publiko, pang-aapi sa mga manggagawa’t magsasaka, at iba pa,” the labor leader said.
(Cronyism, hunger, external debt, the lack of social justice and public service, abuse against laborers and farmers, and others remain.)
“Ang klase ng pamumuno na kinakatawan ni Ka Leody ay pagkukumpleto sa mga kakulangan ng EDSA. Kinapos ang pag-aalsang EDSA sapagkat naagaw ng mga elitista ang manibela kaya huminto ang pag-aalsang masa sa simpleng pagpapatalksik sa diktadura,” he added.
(My brand of leadership will fulfill EDSA’s shortcoming. The EDSA revolt fell short because elitists returned to the driver’s seat and put a pause on mass uprising.)
Boxing icon-turned-presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao also expressed disappointment that corruption got worse after the revolution.
In a bid to restore the uprising’s spirit, Pacquiao vows a “revolution against corruption” if he wins in the May polls. He also reiterated his plan to jail corrupt personnel.
According to opinion polls, the son and namesake of Marcos is leading the presidential race despite the family's history.
The two-decade rule of the clan patriarch was marked by outright abuse of human rights and massive plunder of state coffers. Rights group Amnesty International estimated that 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 were tortured and 3,240 were killed during Martial Law.
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