Metro Manila, Philippines – Witnesses of the historic 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution revisited the People Power Monument on Wednesday, Feb. 25, to mark the 40th anniversary of the bloodless uprising and resist abuses and corruption in the last two administrations.
Cecile Abis, 61, joined her siblings Benjie and Biboy Bernardo who all witnessed martial law in the 1970s up to the end of the dictatorship of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
In an interview with NewsWatch Plus, Abis said she can still recall learning of the news about the declaration of martial law on Sept. 21, 1972.
“I’m a martial law baby. Grade 1 ako nun… the next days, ang daming hinuhuli, ang daming kinulong,” she said at the sidelines of the commemoration of the EDSA revolution in Quezon City.
[Translation: I’m a martial law baby. I was in Grade 1 then…in the following days, so many people were arrested, so many were imprisoned.]
Abis said the bloodless revolution even inspired her to work at non-government organizations to help the poor.
Four decades later, she said history may be repeating itself.
“Nakita niyo ngayon bigla na lang ang daming pinapatay na walang nananagot. Ang daming krimen na hindi nahuhuli ang perpetrators,” Abis said.
[Translation: You see the number of deaths now and no one is held accountable. Crimes abound and perpetrators are not caught.]
“Napakahalaga panagutin natin sila talamak ang kahirapan, talamak ang poverty and hunger saan nagmula to kundi sa corruption,” she added.
[Translation: It’s important to hold those accountable for the hardship, widespread poverty and hunger that come from corruption.]
Her brother Benjie, who was an activist during the martial law years, echoed the concern.
Despite working in Malacañang at the time, Benjie defied the administration and joined the uprising.
He said he is saddened that the revolution seemed to have failed its purpose, with the rampant abuses and corruption. He said he remains hopeful.
“Hindi tayo dapat mag-give up. Sabi nga natin, kaya tayo narito dahil sa demoracy natin ma-achieve 40 years ago,” he said.
[Translation: We should not give up. As we always say, we are here because of the democracy we achieved 40 years ago.]
Holding Marcos, Duterte accountable
At the rally at the historic People Power Monument in Quezon City, the call was clear: hold President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte accountable.
In her speech, opposition figure and Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima said violence seemed to have worsened after the end of the Marcos dictatorship.
The lawmaker took a jab at the bloody drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte – who is now facing murder charges for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands over extrajudicial killings during his time as president and mayor of Davao city.
READ: PRRD list, drug war terms, popular cases mentioned in ICC hearing
De Lima was arrested on the eve of the EDSA revolution in 2017 over drug-related charges, which were later on dismissed by the court.
“Ang nagpakulong sakin napakaraming palusot, napakaraming paligoy ligoy. Ni hindi makaharap sa korte para mapakinggan ang mga pinaparatang sa kanya. Pareho sila ng anak niyang nangagarap pa ngayong maging presidente ng Pilipinas,” she said.
[Translation: The one who had me jailed had so many excuses, so much evasion. He couldn’t even face the court to hear the accusations against him. He is the same as his daughter, who is now even aspiring to become president of the Philippines.]
De Lima also called out rampant corruption in the flood control scam, as well as efforts to revise history and spread disinformation.
Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, former Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president, said remembering the lessons of EDSA means continuously seeking accountability, in particular the multi-billion peso flood control scam.
“Matapos ang dalawang Trillion Peso March, huwag tayo humintong magtanong…nasaan na ba ang pinangakong makukulong bago December, anyare?,” he said in his speech.
[Translation: After two Trillion-Peso March, we should not stop asking… where is the one who was promised to be jailed before December? What happened?]
Aquino scion: Marcos is villain
Meanwhile, Kiko Aquino Dee, grandson of democracy icons former President Corazon Aquino and former Sen. Ninoy Aquino – whose assassination sparked the revolution, called the younger Marcos a villain for not recognizing Feb. 25 as a non-working holiday since he assumed office in 2022.
In an interview, Dee doubted the intention of Malacañang’s pronouncement saying the president is open to reviewing bills seeking to declare Feb. 25 a holiday.
The Aquino scion said the president may just use it as a distraction for the corruption allegations of his administration in the flood control scandal.
“‘Yung tatay nya ang nagpahirap sa bayan ni minsan ay hindi niya kinilala ang napakalaking pagkakasala ng kanyang pamilya dito sating bansa,” he added.
[Translation: His father was the one who made the nation suffer, yet not once did he acknowledge the grave wrongdoing his family committed against our country.]
Marcos was mum on the revolution’s anniversary, but the Palace said the uprising is etched in the country’s history.
