A few good men
ONE of the defining moments of the People Power Revolution was the “salubong,” the convergence of military forces and civilians protesting against the Marcos dictatorship. This momentous event injected a deep meaning into what would have been arbitrary: standing united on a highway.
That powerful message sent the dictator and his family scurrying out of the country, and won us back our democracy. That peaceful revolution was founded on the force of the citizens’ will, magnified by the soldiers decision to fight with and for, instead of against us.
For all its power, its strength, its ability to attack and defend, the military knows it is only as good as it having something to protect. Initially, it may seem like the military is wholly devoted to a single authority, whoever is Commander-in-Chief at the moment. But its role is larger than the security of one person or a single administration. Explicit on the Coat of Arms of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is the baybayin “ka” for “kalayaan” or freedom. Safeguarding this is its sacred responsibility.
The call for a revolutionary government in trying times such a now— when the biggest threats are not hard power, terrorists, or rebels, but fake news and divisive propaganda — would be irresponsible. A revolutionary government reacting to imagined instability without clear dissent would be arbitrary.
Whether it will replicate the lessons of EDSA 1986 largely depends on the backbone of such a move — the military.
But there are more reasons to trust than despair. In 1986, this uniformed institution clarified where its loyalties lie — in freedom assured by rule of law; of, for, and by the people. Since then our military has marched towards professionalism, bound by ethics and law, in affirmation of our Constitution. In 2017, amidst threats of the creation of a selfserving authority, our military does not bat an eye. Its leaders do not hesitate when they say they will not support any threat to our Constitution, including a revolutionary government.
It is in such competence and steadfastness that we must put our confidence and trust that our faith will pay off today as it did 31 years ago.