Twenty-five years after the EDSA People Power Revolution, and what have we to show for it?
Did we achieve our goals after we booted out the dictator after many years of authoritarian rule? What was the last straw that broke the camel’s back, and drove millions of Filipinos to EDSA from Feb. 22 to 25, 1986?
First, they killed Ninoy Aquino at the tarmac of the Manila International Airport on Aug. 21, 1983. The assassination of Ninoy emboldened millions, and they defied the dictator by lining up along Ninoy’s funeral cortege.
His death has stoked the feelings of freedom, which ignited the hearts of those who had previously ignored the excesses of the conjugal dictatorship.
From that time, covert acts of defiance like the “Mosquito Press” and the xerox publications were born. People started to get involved.
Second, poverty had blighted millions, with the dictator, his family, and his cronies living ostentatious lives, looking down on the hunger and misery of millions. Like the throes of the French Revolution, the hungry and the disposed were knocking on the place gates with their plows and shears, unafraid and determined to be heard. But even the middle class and the well-heeled were so scandalized by the brazenness of the murder, disgusted at their helplessness, that they also came and stepped up to be counted.
Third, corruption was rampant and prevalent, theirs was the “rule by law” which favored the dictator, his family, and his cronies.
There was no justice, as the Legislative and Executive powers were exercised by one man, and the Judiciary was just a stamp pad for the dictator, acting on his wishes.
Fourth, the dictator was now haunted by his own crimes of silencing the opposition by arrests, detention, summary executions, and eventual ”salvaging”, suspicious of everyone, and intrigues were ripe amongst his own men.
There was inequality in the sharing of the spoils, thus, his own Defense Chief Enrile and his Vice Chief of Staff Ramos, with the help of Gregorio Honasan and the Reformed Armed Forces Movement and the Young officers’ Union were suspected of plotting and mounting a coup, and they were to be punished by death.
The call came first from Butz Aquino of the August Twenty One Movement (ATOM), then, Cardinal Sin, to protect the lives of Enrile, Ramos and the officers who had broken away from Marcos. At that time, the people were saying: ”Never again!”
The rest is history, and sad to say, that as the events unfolded, we are back to square one especially on the issue of corruption. Do we leave it all up to P-Noy?
Each and everyone is called to do his/her patriotic duty to be a good citizen, and for those in government, to do their duty. It is a long road, but the first step had been taken.
P-Noy, hindi ka nag-iisa.
