EDSA revolution rites at People Power marker

For the first time in 16 years of celebrating the EDSA revolution, the Catholic Church will be relegated into the background with the venue shifting to the People Power monument instead.

People Power commissioner Pastor Saycon made this announcement in connection with the Catholic Church’s earlier decision to depoliticize the EDSA Shrine, which served as the converging ground of all the country’s popular uprising. The Church made the decision following its "desecration" by former President Joseph Estrada loyalists that culminated into the May 1 Malacañang seige.

Saycon said that aside from a morning mass at the EDSA Shrine’s church, all the rest of the activities would be held at the nearby EDSA monument along EDSA.

President Arroyo is expected to give her speech at the monument while former presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos would address the crowd in Davao and Cebu, respectively.

A "dialogue" between the people and the President is also scheduled on the first day of the three-day celebration on Feb. 22.

In other developments, the EDSA commission warned of the possible eruption of violence during the anniversary celebration prompting them to ask police deployment during the affair. Saycon made the warning and said that Estrada loyalists have been meeting for the past six and a half weeks.

"We know of their movement because we have people in their ranks," said Saycon at last Tuesday’s Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel forum.

Saycon, who is also the spokesman of the Council of Philippine Affairs (COPA) said the mobilization of Estrada followers comprised of the "indoctrinization" of some 2,000 youths from different schools on various political issues. He particularly tagged the People’s Movement Against Poverty (PMAP), a pro-Estrada group, as the one financing the mobilization. — Jose Aravilla