People werpa?

Let’s talk about people power.

Commemorating the 1986 People Power Revolution aka EDSA 1 seems to have become a tradition to remind Filipinos of the time when the nation was said to have fought against the dictatorship of then President Ferdinand Marcos. These days however, while we can respect the opinion of those who continue to believe in the ideals they have fought for in EDSA 1, the opinion of those who felt that they were fooled by the same event should not also be disregarded.

Can we really blame them if this is their opinion after realizing that decade after decade – politicians after politicians, and there’s still no significant change happening in this country? Can we blame them if the true spirit of EDSA has started to fade? Rather than blaming other people, maybe the fault lies with those who politicized the event itself. The People Power Revolution has since become tied to a particular political party, color, and name; it has been linked to these things that even if I don’t mention such particulars, most Filipinos would still know who or what I am pertaining to. This then begs the question: was the event truly about fighting for freedom or was it just another political ploy to grab power?

It is obvious that the People Power Revolution is being used politically, just like how certain politicians and their groups are using this annual celebration as a means of attacking the current administration. They are painting everything in black and white: them as the good guys and the Duterte administration as the bad. But let’s not allow the commemoration of this historic occasion become a means to undermine the power of the people who elected President Duterte as head of state. Those who celebrate EDSA 1 always claim that it represented the strength of a united people; I on the other hand cannot help but wonder why they seem to find it hard to acknowledge the voice of over 16 million Filipinos who wanted change for this country?

The previous administrations and political parties had their time under the spotlight, especially the Liberal Party. But during the last elections, the people have spoken, and had you listened… had you really listened, this is what you would have heard: we’ve had enough, we want real change.

Come to think of it, we can consider the 2016 elections as another representation of people power since Filipinos gathered together to support the call for change – this time by using the right and real channel, the mandate to vote for whom they deemed can provide real change. Those who have long become indifferent toward the government have revived their political spirit by actively supporting then Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte and defending him from politicians who sought to destroy his name for their own personal gain.

They supported the only man they considered to be the father of the nation because unlike his opponents, he truly represents the voice of the people. He heard their wails, their frustrations, their grief, and their anger, and he stood up to give hope to the Filipinos.

Hope for a better Philippines. Hope for a country safe from criminals. Hope for a better and cleaner government that works to serve its people. These are what he has been fighting for and continues to fight for.

If today’s politicians really care for the people, like how they showcase themselves to be every time election period is coming, they must make it a priority to help the current administration in building a better future for the Philippines. It is not wrong to commemorate previous occasions that show the power of the people, but we also should not be blind to the present instances wherein the same kind of power – people power, is exercised. In my view, this is a glaring problem of many traditional politicians and even of the common folk, as they are too busy holding on to the grudge of the past that they forget the need to move forward.

This is one of the changes the current administration is fighting for: progress for the Philippines that can be felt and embraced by Filipinos in everyday circumstances, such as the jeepney modernization program, and the Build Build Build! projects, to name a few. Let us not move backward; I believe that the only way toward a better nation and a better future for us Filipinos is nothing else but forward.