Malacañang quickly clarified that President Aquino was not calling for people power when he castigated Chief Justice Renato Corona and threatened to foist the people’s wrath on senators if they fail to convict Corona in his impeachment trial at the Senate.
It was good the Palace did because there would have been a lot of red faces if the people did not show up in the manner that they did in 1986. Even Edsa Dos was a fluke and could not be repeated.
One Edsa is enough, especially since it never lived up to the promise people were willing to give up their lives for at time. Edsa Dos was already too contrived politically and should not even be lumped with the first.
And there is going to be a third? No way, not even if Aquino actually calls for it. That is why, extremely agitated and horrified, Palace spokespersons quickly doused any notion that the president was calling for one. Even Malacañang knows where the people stand.
Of course there is great drama in merely invoking people power without actually calling for it. Aquino tried it early in his campaign, when he threatened to summon people power if he loses.
Luckily and mercifully, Aquino won and never had to summon people power and suffer a far worse humiliation than losing. Because people power is not what Aquino thinks it is. It is people exercising their sovereign will, not doing the bidding of a sore loser.
He implied it again recently with the Senate without actually calling for it. And again it is good that he didn’t. It is not clear, though, why he stopped short. But in case it came by happenstance, let him be forewarned: It will never happen again.
It would be wise for Aquino to know this so he will not even try. There is not likely to be another people power, for whoever’s behalf. But if Aquino is up to tempting fate, it might do well for him to consider it might boomerang. Nobody holds a franchise on people power.