No ‘EDSA pwera’ please

By Herbert Vego

YOU will remember that the first week of the New Year saw the TV stations airing the “EDSA-puera” ad aimed at gathering support for Charter change.  The subliminal message was that the 1987 Constitution framed by the Constitutional Commission after the EDSA People Power Revolution of February 1986 has failed to bring changes in the people’s lives.

The alibi given is that a new Constitution would institute economic reforms by allowing foreigners to own full ownership of real estate and business enterprises.

Fortunately, that ad that sought public support for the “people’s initiative” as the first step toward Charter change (cha-cha) has backfired. We feel that it is mainly aimed at perpetuating political dynasties through abolition of term limits. We see no snowballing support for that.

What is visible right now is public disgust over Malacañang’s decision to exclude the EDSA Revolution’s 38th anniversary from the list of our 2024 holidays.

However, we have cause-oriented groups that are pushing back under the “Buhay ang Edsa” network which has calendared activities in Metro Manila and elsewhere to gather and commemorate the four-day EDSA events (Feb. 22 to 25) that terminated the dictatorial regime of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and restoration of democracy under President Corazon Aquino.

Let us be reminded that today brings to mind the first day of the four-day EDSA events (February 22 to 25, 1986) that toppled the 20-year reign of the first President  Marcos.

The government had since then unilaterally celebrated that bloodless uprising year after year even during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte, although he never attended the annual anniversary celebrations.

No doubt most Filipinos today were not alive during the EDSA uprising 38 years ago, considering that the Philippine population was only 55 million in 1986 or less than half of the estimated 118 million today. But I was already 36 years old and the editor of a local paper then.

With a transistor radio in hand, I went hurried to my favorite coffee shop to listen to the breaking news.

The harried reporter was blaring a flash report: Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and the late Philippine Constabulary (PC) chief Gen. Fidel Ramos had staged a failed coup d’etat and were holed in with other mutineers at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, fearing for their lives.

In those four days, the eyes of the rest of the world focused on the swelling millions of people from all walks of life providing a mantle of protection on the mutineers against the incoming battle tanks.

The late Jaime Cardinal Sin was largely instrumental in convincing radio and TV audiences to converge along the EDSA stretch on both sides of Camp Aguinaldo.

Most elements in the military either surrendered to Gen. Ramos or merely stood down in tacit support of the EDSA “revolutionaries,” forcing the Marcos family to fly to Hawaii on February 25, 1986.

Earlier on that day, Corazon Aquino took her oath of office as revolutionary President despite her “loss” to Marcos in the February 7, 1986 snap election.

One of the urgent acts of Pres. Cory was to appoint officers-in-charge (OICs) of cities, municipalities and provinces. That was how prosecutor Rodrigo Duterte morphed into politics, initially as OIC-vice mayor of Davao City – sort of “accommodation” to his mother Soledad who had campaigned hard for Cory against Marcos.

If only in recognition of that turning point in his life, shouldn’t Bongbong (the 2^nd Pres. Marcos) have atoned through this week’s EDSA celebration?

Because of polarization of public perception, however, it would be presumptuous to assume another onslaught on EDSA this week.

But we deplore the wishy-washy attitude of Bongbong over “unforgivable” circumstances, notably the intrusion of Chinese military and fishing vessels within our exclusive economic zone at the West Philippine Sea.

-oOo-

MORE CSR INITIATIVE FROM MORE POWER

KUDOS to MORE Power as it continues its dedication to community welfare through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. On February 20, for instance, the company turned over a material recovery facility (MRF) to Barangay Boulevard, Molo to bolster its management efforts.

Prior to the turnover, MORE Power conducted a barangay meeting to educate residents on proper waste segregation practices.

A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was inked between MORE Power and Barangay Molo Boulevard, Molo, represented by MORE Power Vice President Bailey del Castillo (Network Development and Operations) and Barangay Captain John Villanueva, Sr., respectively, who affirmed their mutual commitment to maintaining the MRF. This agreement entails ensuring the proper segregation, collection, transportation, storage, treatment, and disposal of solid waste through the best environmental practices in ecological waste management.