If you have ever read those compilations of letters written by children to famous and powerful people, you know that kids can say the darndest things.
They can be insightful, bold, annoying, confused but also quite funny.
Here are some verbatim quotations from entries in an English/Filipino on-the-spot writing contest on the topic “Should we celebrate Edsa 1?” or “Why do we celebrate Edsa 1?”
The contest was part of the 29th Teodoro F. Valencia-DepEd Search for NCR’s 10 Outstanding Campus Journalists and School Publications.
—Linda B. Bolido
Elementary students
“Ex-President Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino was seated in the presidential chair. One day he traveled using a helicopter and when they landed, in Ninoy’s few steps, a bang of a gun was heard. Ninoy died … Since Ferdinand Marcos was his vice, Marcos wanted to be president.”
(Fact: Ninoy Aquino was never President. He was a senator. He was killed as he was getting off an airplane when he returned from the United States. Marcos was President when Aquino was killed.)
(Fact: Government officials have been implicated in cases of malversation of funds since Edsa I, the latest of which involves senators, congressmen and other public officials allegedly in cahoots with Janet Lim-Napoles.)
“Senator Aquino was [coming] back to the Philippines to do something he should have done earlier but unfortunately, he was assassinated by some people that did it purposely or ordered by someone … Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law and they were planning to destroy the military camps that were already built when we were being attacked by other countries and that’s when people got pissed off.”
(Fact: Marcos was not planning to destroy military camps, as he relied on the military to prop up his one-man rule.)
“Many innocent people, especially journalists, were put in jail and some were killed.”
(Fact: Journalists and other antigovernment people were killed, jailed or were made to disappear during martial law, not during Edsa I.)
“Edsa revolution started when Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. was assassinated … After the goose-bumping happening, Marcos was beaten and Cory Aquino, as the new President, led the Filipinos.”
(Fact: Protests against martial law were brought into the open after the Aquino assassination. But the revolution itself started after the snap election when Marcos was declared winner.)
“… It was led by the wife of Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino who was then gunshot by the military member of former President Marcos.”
(Fact: The Aquino assassination happened in 1983, two and a half years before the Edsa People Power Revolution.)
“… A snap election is made. Corazon Aquino… is declared as the President of the Philippines and Marcos as the President of Malacañang. Corazon Aquino is the first President girl of the Philippines.”
(Fact: Marcos was declared winner of the snap elections, which led to the revolt because most people believed Corazon Aquino was elected President.)
“[Edsa I] was about fighting against the government during the occupation of Marcos … [Without] Edsa, are we safe in the hands of a cruel President?”
“Iisa lamang ang naghahatid ng balita sa mamamayan, puro pabor pa kay Marcos. Itinatago nila ang mga maling ginagawa nila.”
“Kung wala ang People Power Revolution, hindi tayo makaka-computer, hindi makaka-Facebook at hindi makaka-Twitter.”
“Pinakita ng Edsa na maaari na nating husgahan ang hindi karapat-dapat sa puwesto.”
“Edsa shows the Philippine spirit, teamwork, industry and mostly the fear of God.”
“Noong panahon ng People Power… maraming tao ang nasaktan at nasawi.”
“Dapat maalala [dahil] napatalsik ang opisyales na di naman karapat-dapat na gaya ni Marcos.”
“Upang maging malaya ang mga Pilipino sa pamumuno ni dating Pangulong Marcos at mapatigil ang martial law na kung saan ipinagbawal ang… pag-uwi ng huli sa gabi.”
“Papaano kung inaabuso na tayo…tutunganga na lamang ba tayo at aasa na lamang na parang aliping sunod-sunuran?”
“Tila nabunutan ng tinik sa lalamunan ang mga Pilipino sapagkat nakamit ang kalayaan.”
“Tinatag ang People Power Revolution para sa mga Pilipino na nagluluksa sa pagkamatay ni [Cory] … [Ito ay] bilang pag-alaala sa yumaong Presidente.”
(Fact: The revolution was staged to put Cory, who was widely acknowledged as the duly elected President, in power. She died in 2009, 23 years after Edsa 1.)
“Upang patalsikin si… Marcos dahil sa ginawang pandaraya kay Ninoy Aquino.”
(Fact: It was Ninoy’s wife, Cory, who was cheated in the snap presidential election.)
“Ang kapangyarihan ng pamahalaan noon nasa iisang tao lamang… ngayon ang kapangyarihan ng pamahalaan nasa taong bayan na.”
“[Ang Edsa] ay ang tanda na kung saan ang mga buwaya ay nakahiga sa malagintong upuan at nagpapakasarap na nakahiga sa pera samantalang ang mga Pilipino nagpapakahirap at dugo’t pawis inaalay sa ating bansa…”
High school students
“We revolutionized a way of getting peace … It was to practice peace itself.”
“The celebration of Edsa can help officials reminisce the time when… democracy overpowered a ruler. The celebration can encourage lawmakers to exercise well-executed justice in cases like the pork barrel scam.”
“Other countries took notice [of the country], even the United Nations, which ignored the Philippines being a totalitarian regime…”
“Marcos made every person an idiot and ignorant on issues.”
“Sayang ang isang araw na pag-aaral ng mga bata at produktibong araw sa opisina … Ito ba talaga’y para sa lahat o nagbubulagbulagan lang tayo sa pagmamanipula ng angkan [ng Aquino] sa atin?”
“Wala rin namang pagbabagong nangyayari, abala lamang para sa iba… Wala nang pakialam ang mga tao at inuunang tugunan ang mga pangangailangan.”
“Natural lamang na gunitain ng bansa sa pamumuno ni P-Noy ang kabayanihan ng kanyang ama at ina… pagpapakita ng respeto sa kanila at pagmamahal bilang anak sa tinuturing na magulang ng mga Pilipino nang panahon ni Marcos.”
“Kung sino pa ang may ginagawang kadakilaan para sa bayan, siya pa ang napapahamak … Nais nilang (Edsa protesters) ipaghiganti ang mga Pilipinong namatay para sa bayan.”
ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEPH BRAVO