Flickering lights of EDSA revolt

By Modesto P. Sa-onoy

Yesterday’s commemoration of the People Power Revolution of 1986 did not evoke much enthusiasm as it was a few years after that historic moment when the Filipino people joined in mass throughout the nation to demand the end to martial law and dictatorial regime of President Ferdinand Marcos.

There was a military attempt to seize power, but the plotters, led by Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Philippine National Police chief, General Fidel Ramos were discovered. An armed confrontation became inevitable until Cardinal Jaime Sin, Archbishop of Manila called on the people to support the plotters who were outnumbered and outgunned. The people rallied and blocked the streets where the forces loyal to Marcos were to pass. Marcos, on the prodding of the United States decided to leave Malacanang. The mass upheaval of unarmed citizenry gave birth to the name “People Power.”

Essentially, the change of political power in the country was a direct act of the people. To his credit, President Marcos refused to issue the order to put down the military putsch. There would have been blood on the streets not only in Quezon City, but even here in Negros where the politicians loyal to Marcos were ready to fight. They were well-armed as well, though few people here knew that had Imelda Marcos or President Marcos agreed to the proposal of his leaders here, we cannot tell now what could have happened.

So, the commemoration of the revolt along the EDSA highway 34 years ago should be a great moment for national thanksgiving and celebration. But we don’t see any sign that this is so. In fact, people continued their daily chores. On the other hand, schools and government offices are closed and should have gathered for the celebration. But there was none that can be considered a great one.

Each year we find the dimming of the lights of the people arouse to fight for freedom that marked the People’s Power Revolution. Where had all the joys and long and winding speeches extolling the gems of the revolution gone? Where is the display of pride of being a member of the Yellow Army as it was when Corazon Aquino was President?

House Deputy Speaker Mujic Hataman was reported urging the young generation to keep, or more precisely rekindle the fires of EDA. He said, “I call on the next generations to stand for their rights and seek true stories of how there came to be an EDSA people power revolution, and how Filipinos gained their freedom as a result. Finding the true meaning of EDSA People Power will give the youth more understanding of what their rights are as citizens.”

Well said, but who was listening? How many of the new generation know about EDSA Revolution except EDSA as a highway? People don’t even know where the name comes from.

If there is a loss of memory about the revolt in EDSA, we can blame mainly the people who claim to be the direct heirs of this revolt. The first error of the leaders of the Cory’s Yellow Army was the declaration of a Revolutionary Government after Cory was sworn into the Office of the President. They replaced a duly constituted government, albeit corrupt and despotic with another government that imposed the same power as martial law.

The Yellow Army took over all government elected positions arbitrarily, appropriated private properties by mere allegation that these were fruits of corruption and dismissed from office even the career officials and employees simply because they were in office under martial law.

In effect, the Yellow Army planted the seed of anger at the onset of their takeover of government. Then when elections were held in 1987, many of the Yellow Army appointees were trounced out.

And so, the forgetting began because the Yellow Army that manipulated the inexperience Corazon Aquino, have much to repent and to retribute. They were to replace a corrupt and dictatorial government, but most, sadly for the nation, turned out to be like the ones they kicked out.

What legacy of 1896 is there to transmit to the new generation? What memories are there to be happy about? There are talks of historical revisionism which refers to the political rehabilitation of the Marcos family. One wonders why people still vote for a Marcos as if People Power never happened.