EDSA Revolt shining moment in history – Honasan
FORMER senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan 2nd said the EDSA People Power Revolution must be remembered as an opportunity for unity and lasting peace.
The nation will mark the historic 1986 event on February 25.
In a statement on Sunday, Honasan said, “EDSA ‘86 and its commemoration since has become a forum for further divisiveness and disunity instead of being a shining moment in our history when the people and its soldiers stood together for reform and good government.”
Honasan was a key player during the People Power Revolution, mustering a small force of soldiers that supported Gen. Fidel Ramos and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, who broke away from the government of Ferdinand E. Marcos and holed up in Camp Crame.
Almost a million people filled the stretch of EDSA in front of Crame to form a buffer against an assault by loyalist troops.
He said the EDSA anniversary should be an occasion for “moving forward, dreaming, praying and working hard, together as citizens, a nation and its leaders, with vision for our children.”
In a statement last February 11, Honasan said the recent visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Mindanao signified a “modest step” toward reconciliation amid calls for secession by his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.
During the commemoration of
Constitution Day 2024 in Makati City on February 8, Marcos said the call to separate Mindanao is “doomed to fail, for it is anchored on false premise, not to mention a sheer constitutional travesty.”
Duterte floated the idea of separating Mindanao from the republic days after reports surfaced that the Marcos administration allegedly allowed entry to the country of International Criminal Court investigators looking into Duterte’s bloody drug war.
Marcos was in Davao last February 7 for the inauguration of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project.
Honasan said Marcos’ trip to Mindanao was a “significant stride toward promoting unity, reconciliation and healing.”
“This journey has commenced with a demonstration of humility, statesmanship, duty and patriotism, surpassing partisan politics,” he said.
“We aspire to witness a gradual collaboration among our leaders, where they can engage in constructive discussions regarding the concerns that affect our citizens, ultimately propelling our country forward.”