There are no events to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the second people power revolution. And the man who lost the presidency in the peaceful revolt remembers the event with bitterness, despite his many public pronouncements that he has forgiven his enemies.
EDSA II, however, still has lessons to impart to our exuberant democracy, foremost of which is that popular revolts need a great deal of work and follow-through, if we want to build a strong and prosperous republic. The original people power revolt in 1986 was a mass uprising against a corrupt and oppressive dictatorship. EDSA Dos was a continuation of the first revolt – an expression of public disgust over corruption at the top levels of government.
Today a return of authoritarian rule is unlikely, but human rights violations persist along with deep-seated corruption, posing a stiff challenge to the administration that won power on an anti-corruption platform. And in a dramatic reversal of fortune, Joseph Estrada – convicted of plunder but immediately pardoned – is freely campaigning for another elective position, while the person who replaced him through EDSA Dos is being held without bail for plunder.
While there are those who remember EDSA Dos mainly with disappointment, the event deserves to be marked annually for its unfulfilled promise of change. The uprising was a manifestation of Filipinos’ yearning for clean and efficient government. The yearning is still there, and the promise of EDSA II is not impossible to fulfill. But it requires a lot of hard work, commitment and perseverance. Democratic institutions must be strengthened and reforms must be made irreversible. Some reforms have been achieved in recent years. The anniversary of EDSA II should remind the nation of how much more needs to be done.