EDSA’s unprecedented peaceful revolution

Two days ago, we celebrated the 17th anniversary of the greatest Filipino first – the EDSA Revolution. A revolution can mean two things: the violent overthrow of a government or any fundamental change of conditions. The EDSA Revolution was the later and we don’t know of any other precedence in world history. Mohandas K. Gandhi was world-famous for his civic non-violent movements to gain India’s independence from Great Britain. The British granted India’s freedom in 1947 but rioting broke out between Hindus and Muslims. And when he called for peace among his countrymen, he was shot by a Hindu fanatic who despised him for opposing what he thought were excesses in the caste system. In the case of EDSA, the first and only dictatorial regime collapsed without a single casualty.

We have always maintained that the fiesta is our highest community expression. That is what the EDSA Revolution was – a fiesta to topple a dictatorship. People went there not only individually but as members of diverse parishes. The main symbol of their parish was their patron saints. And very visible during the EDSA Revolution were the religious groups. It was the nuns who faced and blocked the tanks. The general atmosphere was one of joy and camaraderie. No one was inciting to violence. No one was armed.

But you could see that the people would not give way – not even to the army tanks. Everyone was a hero.

The peaceful revolution at EDSA established a great precedent. There was an EDSA II. Again the change was peaceful. This time it was triggered by an envelope not being opened during President Estrada’s impeachment trial in the Senate. Again people gathered in front on Malacañang. It would be better, of course, if both EDSA I and II had never happened. We wish that the old tradition when presidents elected to office served their full term. But times have changed. Marcos declared martial law. The Estrada administration was scandalously corrupt. And if the tradition of disposing of our elected presidents before the expiration of their terms of office continues, sad to say, we will degenerate into a camote republic. Still, a peaceful change is always better than a violent one.

We are glad that to commemorate EDSA’s 17th anniversary, President Arroyo declared the former military detention cell of the late Sen. Benigno Aquino as a national shrine. It was Ninoy who said "The Filipino is worth dying for" and lived up to his words. The soldiers who obeyed the orders to have Ninoy executed as he stepped down from the plane have been jailed. But to this day, the person who gave them the order has not been even identified. His widow˜Corazon Aquino was president for six years. She showed no indications of being interested in identifying, arresting and prosecuting the individual who ordered the shooting of her husband. This is the thing that could give real meaning to the celebration of the EDSA Revolution. Why does this remain a mystery? Perhaps, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration can settle this historical mystery once and for all. The soldiers who obeyed the orders are all in Muntinlupa. But the one who gave them the orders to shoot Ninoy has to this day not even been identified.