Despite ban to use plaza, 38th Edsa anniversary rally in Naga proceeds

INQUIRER FILES

NAGA CITY — A protest rally was successfully conducted despite the supposed prohibition on the use of public plazas in this city as the country commemorates the 38th anniversary of Edsa People Power Revolution Sunday, Feb. 25.

Jen Nagrampa, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Camarines Sur spokesperson, revealed that they were initially informed that all public plazas will be occupied by the Naga City police for their scheduled activities on the same day.

Through the persistent calls of Bayan Camarines Sur, Bunyong and other progressive groups, the city government eventually allowed the conduct of a protest rally in Plaza Quince Martires, which commenced at 3 p.m.

“We called and questioned why they would not allow it (protest rally) when in fact it’s an annual event,” Nagrampa said. “Maybe, they (city government) saw the essence of what we are doing.”

For Nagrampa, the protest rally is a way to show that “democracy is still alive in the citizens of Camarines Sur and Naga City.”

Meanwhile, the Naga City police explained in a statement that they “respect and support the protesters as it is their constitutional right.”

There was no steady police presence in Plaza Quince Martires as they were also conducting a separate event on the nearby Plaza Rizal. However, police mobiles were occasionally passing along the plaza.

‘Huge problem’

Aside from Bayan Camarines Sur, also present in the rally were Amihan, Jovenes Anakbayan Naga City, Grabriela, Kabataan Partylist, College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines (GEGP) Bicol Chapter, and Manibela Bicol. Each of these groups aired the concerns of their respective sectors in the said political gathering.

Mario Didoy Avila, president of Manibela Bicol, said that the transport sector faces a “huge problem” with the government’s push for the modernization and consolidation of public utility jeepneys (PUJs).

“We, in the transport sector, are being ‘massacred’ by the government. If you are being deprived of your rights over your lands, what they take away from us is our livelihood,” Avila stressed.

Meanwhile, factions of Bunyog partylist from National Capital Region (NCR), northern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao also joined Sunday’s protest rally.

Suzette Villones, Bunyog partylist member, asserted the Cha-cha (Charter Change) will be a burden to the Filipino people, saying that “it bears no good to the country’s economy.”

Villones called the people to unite in denouncing and fighting against Cha-cha.

“Should we allow ourselves to be ‘squatters’ in our own land? Should we allow corrupt officials to continue to serve? Now… now is the time to reject Cha-cha!” she said.

The Naga City government conducted a separate event to commemorate the EDSA revolution at the front of the Freedom Monument along P. Burgos Street in Barangay (village) Abella, which was attended by government officials and employees, DepEd Naga personnel, and police officers.

Mark Anthony Jacob Glorioso of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and curator of the Museo ni Jesse Robredo shared during his message to remember the heroism in the Edsa revolution because it showed that the people have the power to choose a government.

“It is our responsibility to care for and maintain the power that they fought for,” Glorioso said.

Naga City Mayor Nelson Legacion highlighted during his speech to not just remember the historical moment but also to think about the lessons it shared.

“It reminds us of the power of unity, democracy, and strengthening the will of justice of the Filipino people. It reminds us that change is possible if most of the citizens, no matter their status in life, gather and unite to push for a better future,” Legacion said.

He also called to revive the spirit of Edsa by pushing for dialogues, cooperation, and understanding of every citizen in the city.

“Let us build bridges, not walls, to the future where every citizen can contribute to the progress and prosperity of our city,” he emphasized.