It is not really a question of whether a commemoration is simple or not. The point of a meaningful commemoration is to appreciate the lessons of the past and use these to guide our actions in the present. The previous regime held grand celebrations but missed out on the real lessons and true heroes of EDSA. The EDSA celebrations of the past focused on one family, one political color and on the role of politicians and generals. The past celebrations denied the reality that social ills remained the same, 30 years after the toppling of the dictator. Previous governments were in fact notorious for suppressing "people power".
Meanwhile, the current regime said it has opted for simpler rites but apparently wants to mute the lessons of the struggle against the dictatorship in favor of looking towards the future. This is particularly dangerous today when there are real efforts to rehabilitate the Marcoses and pave the way for their eventual return to Malacañang. This year's commemoration will reportedly be held inside Camp Aguinaldo, the headquarters of the AFP which is currently waging all-out war against the people.
Bayan and CARMMA invite the public to a "People's Commemoration" of the 31st anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising on February 25. The "people's commemoration" is necessary to pay tribute to the Filipino people, the real heroes who mobilized and waged a long and determined struggle, both legal and armed, to oust the dictator Marcos. The "people's commemoration" is important now that there are ongoing efforts to rehabilitate the Marcoses and revise history.
Our commemoration also aims to call attention to the unfulfilled promises of EDSA, and why things have remained fundamentally unchanged. Our protest calls on the people to resist intensifying fascist repression and state-sponsored all-out war, while pushing for the revival of the peace talks that seek to address the roots of the armed conflict. We will march along EDSA and demand genuine change, including the change supposedly promised by Duterte which he has yet to fulfill.
We hope that this year's protest will not be met with overkill police blockades again, like in previous years. February 25 is a day reserved to remember people power, not a day to showcase "police power".
Renato M. Reyes, Jr.
BAYAN secretary general