FULL TEXT: President Aquino speech during 29th Edsa I anniversary rites

Speech of President Benigno S. Aquino III
Celebration of 29th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution
Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA
25 February 2015
(Delivered originally in Filipino)

Mga minamahal ko pong kababayan:

Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat.

May imahen po mula sa EDSA People Power Revolution na tumatak sa pambansang kamalayan: Mga madreng nakaluhod, nangangamba man sa mga baril sa kanilang harapan, ay nananalig pa rin at nagmamalasakit. Sa pag-aabot natin ng rosaryo at bulaklak sa mga armadong sundalo, sa pagkakapit-bisig natin upang pigilan ang pag-abante ng tangke, napatunayan natin: Malasakit ang pinakamakapangyarihang tugon sa galit; walang mas lalakas pang sandata sa pag-ibig.

Ganitong lakas din po ang ipinakita ng sambayanan sa aming pamilya noong 1983, matapos paslangin ang aking ama. Mayroon pong isang litratong nagsisilbing paalala sa kung gaano kalalim ang dinaanan naming pasakit noon. Sa larawang ito, halos hindi ko na siya mamukhaan. Para siyang karneng ibinagsak sa tarmac, at ibinalibag sa AVSECOM van.

Kung ilalagay po ninyo ang sarili sa aking sitwasyon, marahil mauunawaan ninyo ang aking pinanggagalingan. Ama ko po iyon, duguan, matapos barilin. Ako ang nag-iisang anak na lalaki. Aaminin ko: Pumasok sa isip ko ang paghihiganti; sabi ko, ang dugong inutang, dugo rin dapat ang kabayaran. Sabi nga sa Bibliya, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” Umabot ako sa puntong handa akong mamatay, maidamay lang sa hukay ang mga pumaslang sa aking ama.

Ngunit nag-iba po ang aking pananaw nang masilayan ko ang libo-libong taong nanindigan at nakiramay sa labas ng aming tahanan sa Times Street. Tila ba nawala na ang kanilang takot sa Batas Militar, at buong-tapang na nagpahayag ng kanilang malasakit sa aking ama. Tulad ng mangyayari sa EDSA, ipinakita nila sa amin: Hindi kami nag-iisa. At ang sambayanang Pilipino nga po ang nagturo sa akin: Posible pa ang inaasam-asam ng aking ama na mapayapang pagbabago.

Nagbabalik-tanaw po ako sa kuwentong ito, hindi upang kumuha ng simpatya para sa aking sarili, kundi para idiin ang leksiyong dala nito. Bilang inyong Pangulo, maliwanag sa aking magkukulang ako sa aking tungkulin, kung hindi ko ipaaalala sa sambayanan ang kapangyarihan ng malasakit. Magkukulang po ako kung hindi ko ipapaalala sa lahat na, sa mga panahon ng dalamhati, hindi tayo nag-iisa, at may ibang daan. Sa harap ng mga video na nagpapakita ng karahasan, sa harap ng galit na maaaring mamuo sa ating mga puso, kailangan nating ipaalala: Mas makapangyarihan pa rin ang tiwala, ang malasakit, ang pag-ibig, ang kapayapaan.

Tandaan lang natin: Ang kaguluhan sa Mindanao ay nagdudulot ng kaguluhan sa ating lahat. Kaya naman obligasyon ng bawat isa na itaguyod ang kapayapaan sa Mindanao. Ngunit batid nating hindi madali ang landas patungong kapayapaan. Nang magkaroon nga po ng deadlock sa negosasyon ng ating gobyerno at ng MILF, nagpasya tayong personal na makipag-usap kay Chairman Murad Ebrahim sa Japan, kabilang na si Chairman Mohagher Iqbal, sampu ng kanilang mga kasamahan, para ituloy ang usaping pangkapayapaan. Malinaw sa atin ang katangiang kailangang pairalin sa panahong iyon: Iyon po ay tiwala. Mula sa tiwala sa isa’t isa, umusbong ang maayos at tapat na ugnayan ng dalawang panig upang makamit ang kasunduang katanggap-tanggap sa lahat.

Ngayon, may pagkakataon po tayong baguhin ang istorya ng ARMM dahil sa maraming dahilan. Marami nga pong bansa ang nagbubuhos ng suporta sa ating usaping pangkapayapaan. Halimbawa na lang po ang Malaysia: Hindi lamang sa salita, kundi sa gawa, pinadama nila sa atin na katuwang sila sa pagkamit ng kapayapaan. At dahil buo ang tiwala ng sambayanan po sa atin, ni minsan, hindi ako natuksong gamitin ang ARMM para magsagawa ng command votes. Ang mga pinuno ng MILF, pinadama rin sa atin ang kanilang tiwala at kumpiyansa na magiging katuwang din sila, kasama ang buong Bangsamoro, sa paghahanap ng kapayapaan. Ginintuan ngang maituturing ang pagkakataong ito, kung kailan abot-kamay na ang kapayapaan sa Mindanao. Sa mga nagsasabi na ihinto na ang peace process, at ang pagpapasa ng Bangsamoro Basic Law, ang tanong natin: Paano nila masisigurado na magkakaroon ulit ng ganitong oportunidad?

Talagang masakit po ang nangyari sa Mamasapano. Huwag nating kalimutan na pumunta ang ating kapulisan doon, hindi para maghasik ng karahasan, kundi upang ipatupad ang batas. Nagsakripisyo sila para makamit ang kapayapaan, di naman po makatwiran na ang kanilang inalay para sa kapayapaan ay maging mitsa pa ng karahasan. Tulad nga po ng sinabi ni Martin Luther King sa Amerika: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”  Ngayon po, tinatawag tayong maalala ang mga aral na dala ng mga salitang ito.

Sana, magarantiya ko po sa inyong walang magsasamantala sa insidenteng ito. Sinisikap po nating manatili ang kaayusan. Ngunit, alam din nating habang palapit tayo nang palapit sa katuparan ng ating mithiin, lalong nagiging desperado ang mga kontra dito. Maganda po sana kung bukod sa pambabatikos, ay may nailalatag silang alternatibong solusyon. Di tuloy natin maiwasang isipin: Ayaw nilang magkaroon ng kapayapaan, dahil sila mismo ang nakikinabang sa gulo at karahasan. Ang gusto nila: muling magkanya-kanya ang mga Pilipino, at mawala ang tiwala natin sa isa’t isa upang isulong ang kanilang pansariling agenda.

Kung magpapatalo tayo sa mga kontra-kapayapaan, parang hinayaan na rin nating lumala ang kaguluhan sa Mindanao. Kung isusuko natin ang pagtataguyod ng Bangsamoro, parang hinayaan na rin nating armas ang muli nilang ipamana sa susunod na henerasyon ng mga kapwa natin Pilipino.

Hinding-hindi po tayo papayag na mangyayari ito. Tanging sa pagkamit sa pangmatagalang kapayapaan magiging sulit ang sakripisyo ng mga nakipaglaban sa EDSA, kabilang na ang mga nagbuwis ng buhay para wakasan ang paghahasik ng takot at karahasan sa lipunan.

Para sa ating lahat na naranasan ang EDSA, batid natin ang positibong bunga ng pagiging mahinahon; na sa halip na magpadala sa galit at emosyon, bigyang-daan ang pagiging risonable, ang tiwala, at ang pagmamahal sa isa’t isa. Kung ginabayan ng Panginoon ang ating bayan noon tungo sa mapayapang pagbabago, nananalig akong sa kabila ng panibagong mga hamon, ay mabibigyang-daang muli ang tiwala sa isa’t isa.

Noong nanawagan si Cardinal Sin, at tinugon ng ating Tiyo Butz na magbuklod sa EDSA, milyon-milyong tao ang dumagsa rito kasama na ang mga relihiyoso. Ang totoo: Biglaan po ito. Nariyan ang lahat ng sangkap para mauwi ang lahat sa isang madugong himagsikan: takot, tensiyon, at armas. Pero sa gabay nga po ng mahal na Panginoon, naging matagumpay at mapayapa ang pagbasak ng diktaturya, na siyang hinangaan ng buong mundo. Itong paghahangad ng kapayapaan sa buong bansa, lalong-lalo na sa ARMM, kung tutuusin, mas planado, mas pinagtutulungan ng halos lahat. Siguro naman, kung tinulungan tayo ng Panginoon noon, tutulungan din tayo ngayon. Ang hinihiling na lang siguro sa atin, tayong mga natuto na sa aral ng EDSA, dapat maging masigasig upang buohin ang balangkas nitong pagkakamit ng kapayapaan.

Sa ngalan ng mga Pilipinong nakipaglaban sa EDSA, at sa lahat ng mga kababayan nating nagsakripisyo at patuloy na nagsasakripisyo para sa kapwa at bansa, ituloy natin ang laban tungo sa kapayapaan at kaunlarang matagal na nating inaasam.

Magandang hapon po. Maraming salamat sa inyo. (Source: gov.ph)

Speech of President Benigno S. Aquino III
Celebration of 29th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution
Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA
25 February 2015
(Delivered originally in Filipino)

There is an image from the EDSA People Power Revolution that has been branded into our national consciousness: Nuns on their knees, who despite being worried at the sight of guns, continued to display faith and compassion. Through the rosaries and flowers we handed to armed soldiers, through the human chains we formed to stop the advance of tanks, we were able to prove: Compassion is the most powerful response to anger; there is no greater weapon than love.

Nuns EDSA 1986This was the same strength our countrymen showed my family back in 1983, after my father was assassinated. There is a photograph that serves as a reminder of the depth of suffering we underwent back then. In this picture, I could no longer recognize my father’s face. He was like a slab of meat dropped on the tarmac, and thrown into an AVSECOM van.

If you put yourselves in my situation, you might understand where I am coming from. That’s my father covered in blood after getting shot. I am his only son. I will admit: I thought of vengeance; I said that debts in blood must be paid in blood. In fact, the Bible says: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” It came to the point that I was even prepared to sacrifice my life, if I could only take my father’s murderer to the grave with me.

But my perspective changed when I saw thousands of people gathered outside our house in Times street, demonstrating solidarity and expressing sympathy. Their fear of Martial Law appeared to be completely gone, and they bravely expressed compassion for my father. Like what would eventually happen in EDSA, they showed us: We were not alone. And it was the Filipino people who taught me: Achieving my father’s dream of peaceful change was still possible.

I recall this story today not to win sympathy for myself, but to emphasize the lessons it taught us. As President, I am fully aware that I would be remiss in my duties if I do not remind our countrymen of the power of compassion. I would be remiss if I do not remind everyone that, in times of grief, we are not alone, and that there are other paths to take. Despite videos displaying violence, despite the anger that may solidify in our hearts, we must remind ourselves: Truth, compassion, love, and peace will always be more powerful.

Let us bear in mind: The conflict in Mindanao continues to bring conflict for all of us. This is why each one of us is obligated to pursue peace in Mindanao. We also know that the path to peace is not easy to tread. When negotiations between our government and the MILF reached a deadlock, I decided to personally talk to Chairman Murad Ebrahim in Japan, together with Chairman Mohagher Iqbal and their companions, to continue the peace talks. The characteristic we all needed to display during that time was clear: that was trust. The good sincere exchange between the two sides that led to an agreement that was acceptable to all was a product of trust.

Ninoy Assassination 1983We have an opportunity to change the narrative of ARMM, and there are many reasons for it. Many countries are showing their support for our peace talks. Malaysia is one example. They have shown this not just in words, but in actions. They have shown us that they are partners in achieving peace. And because of our people’s trust in our administration, not once was I tempted to use ARMM for its command votes. The leaders of the MILF likewise expressed to us their trust and confidence that they would be our partners, together with the entire Bangsamoro, in pursuing peace. This is indeed a golden opportunity, a time when peace in Mindanao is finally within our reach. To all those calling for a stop to the peace process, and to the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, we ask: How can they guarantee that such an opportunity will present itself once more?

What happened in Mamasapano was truly painful. Let us not forget that our police went there, not to inflict violence, but to fulfill the law. They sacrificed so much so that we could attain peace; it would not be just if what they gave for peace became the spark that ignited further violence. Like what Martin Luther King said in America: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” In these days, we are called to remember the lessons carried by these words.

I wish I could guarantee to you that no one would take advantage of this incident. We are exerting every effort to maintain order. At the same time, we know that, as we move nearer and nearer to the fulfillment of our aspirations, those contrary to our goals are becoming more desperate. It would be ideal if they were able to propose alternative solutions, instead of hurling criticism after criticism. Thus, we cannot help but think: They do not want peace, because they themselves benefit from chaos and violence. What they want: for Filipinos to once again think only of themselves and for us to lose our faith in each other, and choose only to pursue our individual agendas.

If we allow ourselves to be defeated by those who oppose peace, it would be tantamount to allowing the chaos in Mindanao to worsen. If we were to surrender the pursuit of the Bangsamoro, it would be tantamount to allowing them to bequeath arms to the next generations of our fellow Filipinos.

We will not allow this to happen. It is only by realizing a just and lasting peace that we can say that the sacrifices of those who fought in EDSA—together with those who gave their lives to put an end to the sowing of fear and violence in society—were worth it.

For those of us who experienced EDSA, we know the positive fruits of exercising sobriety and remaining calm—of allowing reason, faith, and love for one another to take precedence—instead of allowing ourselves to be carried away by anger and our emotions. If back then God guided our nation towards peaceful change, I have faith that, in spite of these new challenges, our trust in each other will prevail.

When Cardinal Sin and my Tito Butz called on Filipinos to gather in EDSA, millions of people, together with the religious, flocked to this thoroughfare. The truth is that all this was sudden. All the elements to yield a bloody revolution were present: fear, tension, and weapons. But, as I said, with the guidance of our loving God, the dictatorship was overthrown successfully, in a peaceful manner, and this was revered by the whole world. All things considered, this pursuit of peace in the entire country, especially in ARMM, is far more planned, with more contributing to it. Perhaps if God helped us then, he will also help us today. Perhaps what is asked of those of us who learned the lessons of EDSA is to work even harder in fostering the condition that will allow us to realize peace.

In the name of all the Filipinos who fought in EDSA, and of all our countrymen who have sacrificed, and continue to sacrifice for their fellowmen and our country, let us continue the fight towards the peace and prosperity to which we have long aspired.

Thank you.