‘No group owns People Power’

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte says that he is humbled to have been awarded with the Knight Grand Cross of Rizal in his speech during the 21st International Assembly and Conference of the Knights of Rizal at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City on February 23, 2017. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./Presidential Photo

No single person or group can claim credit for the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday, adding that the peaceful restoration of democracy was a showcase of Filipino unity and love of country.

Mr. Duterte, who skipped the muted, Palace-led commemoration of the revolution’s anniversary, called on Filipinos to make an objective assessment of what they have lost and what they have achieved 31 years after dictator Ferdinand Marcos was toppled from power and democracy was restored.

Mr. Duterte’s message for the Edsa anniversary was delivered by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea during the commemoration held in Camp Aguinaldo.

It was the first observance of the Edsa anniversary under the Duterte administration.

The President said the revolt “was a demonstration of the power that a united citizenry could muster. It was a movement of, by and for the Filipino people brought about by their profound love of country.”

“No single party, ideology, religion, or individual could claim credit for the bloodless revolution at Edsa, in the same way that no single party, ideology, religion, or individual could claim a monopoly of patriotism,” he added.

He urged Filipinos to “reflect and objectively assess what we have lost and what we have gained as a nation” since the 1986 revolt, which he said should continue to inspire the nation.

Heroism

“Edsa lives on and its spirit should continue to inspire heroism in all of us for the greater glory of God and country. True heroes, after all, are found in everyone of us who do, with each passing day, our quiet work of nation-building—dutifully, joyfully, passionately—in spite of our occasional differences,” he said.

Friday’s Edsa event was toned down compared to previous anniversaries, and came three months after Mr. Duterte allowed the stealthy burial of Marcos at the heroes’ cemetery despite public outcry.

While Mr. Duterte’s late mother was a staunch anti-Marcos activist, the President has close ties to the Marcos family, which he partly says contributed to his campaign last year.

The Edsa commemoration was held at Camp Aguinaldo grandstand instead of at the People Power Monument, the traditional venue for the anniversary of the overthrow of the Marcos regime.

The grandstand was not filled to capacity. There was also no reenactment of the traditional “salubungan” or the historic meeting between rebel soldiers and citizens who worked to oust Marcos.

Several Edsa figures, however, were present, including former Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, former Vice President Jejomar Binay and former President Fidel Ramos, who nearly backed out of attending the event because of the venue.

Ramos, who has sharply criticized Mr. Duterte and his policies, said holding the commemoration at the military camp moved it away from the people, but he decided to show up anyway after urging from the organizers.

He said he expects next year’s celebrations to be “grandiose” because the government shall have completed building the People Power Monument then. It is envisioned to house a museum and library for people power memorabilia and artifacts.

“This is for the people, that’s us. It’s not just the military, it’s not just the yellow army. It’s not just one family, or two families,” he said.

Church

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle meanwhile urged all parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila to hold a “simple commemoration” of the Edsa revolution on Saturday.

The prelate called on his flock to organize “appropriate public prayer events” such as processions, rosary rallies and prayer worship.

“We give every parish the freedom to plan and organize its commemoration with simplicity but depth. What is important is the space offered for a religious experience that could transform our parishioners on the ground,” Tagle said.

At least four Masses and a procession were held at the Edsa Shrine on Friday to commemorate the events that culminated in the ouster of Marcos. It remains to be seen, however, if Tagle or the other Church leaders would be joining the celebrations.

Mr. Duterte has had a rocky relationship with the Church, which has been highly critical of his war on drugs that has left more than 7,000 dead. The President has criticized the Church as “full of shit” and run by corrupt prelates whom he said were also womanizers.

Last week, the Church flexed its muscles and organized a big rally against the government and its policies, including its prodeath penalty stance. More than 80 percent of Filipinos are Catholics, and the Church’s observations often help shape public opinion.

In 1986, it helped organize Filipinos against Marcos, and in 2001 against Joseph Estrada, who was ousted as the country’s 13th President on allegations of corruption.

Tagle noted that the People Power Revolution “was an event of people relying on their faith for social transformation.”

“In full view of the world, the Filipino people showed the power of prayer that begets courage that begets solidarity that begets change,” Tagle said.

“Thirty-one years later, we thank God for the gift of faith, as we also ask pardon for our personal and communal failure in consistently living that faith in justice, love and peace,” Tagle said.

Magic

Education Secretary Leonor Briones reminded the public, however, that the Edsa revolution would always be remembered.

“Don’t measure the enduring legacy of Edsa just by the formal celebration in Manila,” Briones said. “For as long as there are schools, it will always be remembered.”

She said the magic of people power has not waned even if formal commemorative rites were muted.

The leftist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan for its part scored the Duterte administration for allegedly “intensifying fascist repression.”

“There is a very disturbing trend of political repression against critics of the Duterte regime,” the group said, adding that rights violations were on the rise and many remained mired in poverty.

Another group, the Quezon Silent Majority, said it would mobilize professionals, government and private sector workers, students and members of nongovernment organizations to join Saturday’s anti-Duterte rally at the People Power Monument.

“Mr. Duterte was a product of the Edsa revolution but he turned traitor to its spirit,” said Jay Lim, the group’s spokesperson. “We will be in Edsa not only to join the celebration but also to register, once more, our continuous involvement in the protection of our freedom and democracy, which is again under threat.” —WITH REPORTS FROM JULIE AURELIO, JOCELYN UY, DJ YAP AND DELFIN T. MALLARI JR.

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