Poe: People’s sacrifices for democracy must be remembered

MANILA, Philippines - The sacrifices made by the people who rose against the dictatorship in 1986 must always be remembered because they helped bring democracy back to the country, Sen. Grace Poe said yesterday.

Poe, however, said a lot more has to be done, particularly by the leaders of the next administration in order for Filipinos to be truly “free.”

“Thirty years have passed since EDSA and a lot more has to be done as a nation in order to become truly free – from hunger, poverty, lack of education, the obstacles against our right to information and curtailment of human rights,” Poe said.

“The leader of the next administration faces a great challenge to bring about the realization of all these freedoms,” she added.

Poe, running in this year’s presidential race, emphasized the role of the youth in continuing the spirit of EDSA.

Poe’s runningmate Sen. Francis Escudero said that the heroes of the People Power Revolution must always be remembered.

“So many events have unfolded since Feb. 25, 1986. So many have analyzed and interpreted this memorable part of our contemporary history. History is both beautiful and bizarre, if not ugly,” Escudero said.

Key players missing

Vice President Jejomar Binay, for his part, lamented the government’s lack of recognition of the key players in the EDSA revolution.

Binay was a human rights lawyer during the authoritarian regime of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos while his running mate, Sen. Gregorio Honasan, then an Army colonel, was a member of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), which provided the military component of the revolt during those years.

Honasan and his boss, then defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile, and then Armed Force vice chief Fidel Ramos withdrew support from Marcos and called for civilian support for his ouster.

“I was not invited and was not given a role,” Binay told reporters during a campaign sortie in Candelaria, Quezon.

“It’s saddening, especially for an active participant and someone who has sacrificed his life,” he said.

Binay and Honasan took a jab at personalities who were claiming to be part of the revolution.

“We don’t want to huddle with people who were not even there during those times,” Honasan said.

Binay noted that in the last two years there had been no proper commemoration of the People Power Revolution.

He said the best way to commemorate the EDSA revolution is to improve the lives of the Filipino people.

“It’s unfortunate that after 30 years, poverty remains a problem in the country, and people became even poorer under this administration,” Binay said.

Youth sacrifice

For Davao City Mayor and presidential aspirant Rodrigo Duterte and runningmate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, the spirit of the EDSA revolution is still alive in their fight to end the country’s disorders.

“The EDSA Revolution was not a battle between two political families. Rather, it was the battle between a dictatorship mired in corruption and abuse and the Filipino people’s aching desire to restore democracy, order and the rule of law,” Duterte and Cayetano said in joint statement released yesterday.

“The spirit of EDSA lives on, embodied not just by one person, nor a handful of political families. The spirit of EDSA lives on today in each of us, and it binds us together as the Filipino nation,” they said.

Duterte and Cayetano also called on the people to remember the lessons of EDSA as they called on voters to ensure the new set of leaders to be elected in May will not become corrupt and abusive.

“In this war, we must remember the lessons of EDSA. It is not enough to elect a competent government. We must ensure the government we elect doesn’t become corrupt and abusive,” they said.

Duterte and Cayetano also called on the youth to remember the sacrifices made by their elders in the 1970s and 1980s under an oppressive government.

“Thirty years ago, the youth endured a difficult struggle to overthrow an oppressive government, so that succeeding generations would not suffer the same fate under the hands of a dictator. We implore all young Filipinos to remember one single truth: The youth in the ‘70s and ‘80s made a tremendous sacrifice, so that the youth today will be free,” the statement said.

For his part, Senate President Franklin Drilon said the current generation has been enjoying the fruits of the struggles of the people before them, which are freedom and democracy.

If there are people now who no longer appreciate the value of EDSA, Drilon said it is understandable.

“I tell you, especially the youth, you will not know the value of democracy and freedom until it is taken away from you,” Drilon said.

Militant groups also said the workers are in a worse situation now than 30 years ago.

Kilusang Mayo Uno chairman Elmer Labog said the living condition of workers has not improved and is even far worse than before the EDSA revolt that toppled the Marcos dictatorship. – With Helen Flores, Mike Frialde, Mayen Jaymalin