Wha’ happened – EDSA 31st anniv???
EVENTS of the past week prove there continues to be a lack of coordination among President Duterte and his cabinet, and teamwork between P. Du30 and his 103 million (+) teammates who are us, the rest of the Filipino people – but who are not P. Du30’s property. When he refers to the Filipino people as “my people,” he seems to forget that all Filipinos – babies and the aging, rich and poor, lumad and dual citizen, Christian and Muslim, etc. – are equal stakeholders like him, each owning one share in the Republic of the Philippines. Only emperors and kings can properly say “my people.”
Among the more recent fiascoes – in which we, P. Du30’s teammates, must help so our Team Philippines can move faster and farther, are:
•Summary replacement of the PNP by PDEA in the anti-drug war.
• Breakdown of GPH-NDFP peace talks.
• Objections by ARMM leaders about the dumping of “rogue cops” in Mindanao.
• Mis-earmarking of funds for calamity assistance in Surigao Norte.
• Mass awarding of Medals of Valor to 42 PNP-SAF victims in Mamasapano, without the observance of established procedures.
This week, we shall focus on the 31st anniversary of our People Power Revolution at EDSA because of the absence of Malacañang guidelines for this historic national event. With EDSA People Power Week (2225 February) coming up soon, what’s gonna happen? Let’s make sure the “millenials” (at least) know about EDSA-I’s national and international significance. “Philippine-style People Power” – carried out peacefully at EDSA in February, 1986 – is a successful instrument of democracy to effect regime change.
IT MUST BE APPRECIATED AS AN EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT THAT MERITS THE ADMIRATION OF THE WORLD BECAUSE IT IS A SHINING MODEL OF COURAGE AGAINST OVERWHELMING ODDS, SELFLESS SACRIFICE FOR THE COMMON GOOD, AND PRINCIPLED CIVILIAN-MILITARY UNITY WITH LITTLE OR NO VIOLENCE AND BLOODSHED. EDSA-I BELONGS TO ALL TIME, ALL PEOPLES
VIEWED AGAINST THE VIOLENT UPHEAVALS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (MENA) SINCE 2010 TO-DATE, OUR NON-VIOLENT PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION ACQUIRES EVEN GREATER MEANING FOR YOUNGER GENERATIONS IN TERMS OF THE SUFFERINGS NOW BEING EXPERIENCED BY OTHER PEOPLES BURDENED WITH CIVIL STRIFE, BLOODY CONFLICTS, AND MASSIVE MIGRATIONS – WITH HUNGER, PHYSICAL INJURY OR DEATH AS LURKING REALITIES AT ALL TIMES.
THE GREATEST LOSS TO OUR POSTERITY WOULD BE OUR FAILURE TO IMPART THE VALUES OF TRANSCENDENT EVENTS IN OUR NATION-BUILDING TO THOSE WHO NOW BEAR THE TORCH OF NATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND OUR YOUNGER GENERATIONS.
For us, present-day Filipinos, therefore, our first duty to our beloved Philippines is not to take our freedom for granted, but to defend our liberties against any tyrant who comes around.
Our second duty is to plan and act as one national team to reduce poverty, advance our economy, reinforce our democratic institutions, and insure the nation’s enduring peace and sustainable development, especially in Mindanao.
THE LATE SAINT POPE JOHN PAUL II REMINDED THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF HIS OWN INDOMITABLE POLAND, “IT IS WHAT COSTS THAT CONSTITUTES VALUE, AND WE DO NOT WANT A POLAND WHICH COSTS US NOTHING.” TODAY’S MAJOR PROBLEM: NON-INCLUSION
IF TODAY, MANY OF OUR PEOPLE ARE UNHAPPY OR DISGRUNTLED, IT IS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT SEEING THOSE WHOM WE ELECTED TO LEAD US ACHIEVE ANY REAL REFORMS TOWARD THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COUNTRY AND PEOPLE.
And, the lack of hands-on, focused advance to progress along the fast lane by our elected leaders is painfully obvious from the daily headlines – which are full of non-inclusive bickering.
We do not recount those momentous events at EDSA 31 years ago merely to extol bloodless regime change, or distinguish between victors and vanquished. Rather, we wish to remind our compatriots to join hands in nation-building, and to offer our salute to those who fought and died for our freedom. By doing so, we commit ourselves as responsible citizens, with pride in our hearts, to work for a better future for all Filipinos.
At EDSA, in our past gatherings, we would assure the descendants/families of our veterans and other aging warriors that their sacrifices have not been in vain. As we look back and reflect on their heroism and audacity, we also generate fresh hopes for our country.
LET US REITERATE OUR TOTAL CONDEMNATION OF WAR AND MINDLESS VIOLENCE TO THOSE WHO SUFFERED FROM WAR’S HARDSHIPS AND DANGERS. TO THEM WE OFFER OUR ETERNAL GRATITUDE BECAUSE THEY FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT. THE SPIRIT OF EDSA: TIME TO RENEW AND REFORM
IN OUR PEOPLE’S QUEST FOR FREEDOM LAST FEBRUARY 1986 AT EDSA, A DICTATORSHIP WAS TOPPLED, DEMOCRACY RESTORED AND THE RULE OF LAW REINFORCED FOR FILIPINOS.
EDSA I was not just a nearmiraculous four-day phenomenon. We won important victories in February 1986 but its highest outcome was the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to infuse our people with a new purpose. The Spirit of EDSA compels our unswerving opposition to injustice, greed, corruption, and complacency.
The multitudes at EDSA in February 1986 attest that God’s presence then was almost palpable. In the quiet of their hearts, the people offered their lives to God for our country’s well-being. From our shared experience came a renewed sense of UNITY, SOLIDARITY and TEAMWORK that we wish we could recapture permanently.
Heroics may not be expected from ordinary Filipinos, but we should be good at whatever we do within the law – doing all that with dedication is more than enough. Throughout the process of trying our best, we must inculcate in ourselves and in the younger ones the Spirit of EDSA which starts with CARING, SHARING and DARING for others, and for our beloved Philippines.
EDSA I and EDSA II, unfortunately, may have lost their earlier aura. To many, their prevailing memory is not anymore a celebration of triumph but uncaring tokenism. Many leaders and journalists even deride our EDSA commemorations.
When Filipinos behave in such manner, we the concerned citizens realize how much more work still needs to be done – to link-up EDSA to our libertarian and patriotic traditions. True, many of those happenings did take place before our time, in places we may have never visited.
YET, THOSE DEFINING EVENTS, THOSE PLACES THAT MARK OUR FREEDOM TRAIL MUST BE HELD SACRED IN OUR NATIONAL MEMORY – FOR EVERY RED-BLOODED FILIPINO TO CHERISH. THEY ARE LANDMARKS OF FILIPINO IDENTITY AND NATIONAL PRIDE.
GIVING PEACE A CHANCE
ENDURING PEACE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ARE MANKIND’S NOBLEST ASPIRATIONS. IN NATION-BUILDING, ENDURING PEACE LAYS THE PREDICATE FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROGRESS AND POLITICAL STABILITY.
The 1996 Final Peace Agreement between the Government and the Moro National Liberation Front – which ended a bloody 27-year old conflict – at the cost of 120,000 lives – led to unprecedented growth in Mindanao. It resulted in the upsurge of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), with a harvest of socio-economic and security dividends for the Southern Philippines. ASEAN itself has matured, and is transforming into an integrated economy, a common market, and a force for reinforcing stability in the Asia-Pacific.
That purely combat operations cannot bring about durable peace is an accepted principle in democratic nation-building. Military force constitutes just one component of the holistic approach called “Clear, Hold, Consolidate, Develop (CHCD)” employed successfully during the FVR Administration – which combined good governance, socio-economiccultural community development, and firm law enforcement.
ALL THESE PROGRAMS WERE UNDERPINNED BY UNITY (OF PURPOSE), SOLIDARITY (IN VALUES), AND TEAMWORK (IN NATION-BUILDING). A SENSE OF URGENCY
LET US LISTEN TO THE APPEAL OF THE FILIPINO SOLDIER STATED TEN YEARS AGO LAST 21 DECEMBER 2007 ON THE OCCASION OF THE 72ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES:
IT IS AT EDSA ON THE OCCASION OF OUR PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION OF 1986 THAT WE HOPE TO REAFFIRM THE INHERENT HISTORICAL LINKAGES OF THE LIBERATING SPIRIT OF EDSA WITH EARLIER EPISODES OF FILIPINO COURAGE AND SACRIFICE – EXEMPLIFIED BY THE PATRIOTISM OF 1896 AT PUGAD LAWIN, THE VALOR OF BATAAN-CORREGIDOR IN 1942, AND MOST RECENTLY, THE SACRIFICE OF OUR 44 FALLEN SAF COMMANDOS AT MAMASAPANO.
OUR PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION AT EDSA IN 1986 WAS A SHINING MOMENT IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY. IT WAS OUR PEOPLE’S COLLECTIVE ACT OF QUIET COURAGE AND POWERFUL RESOLVE, A SELFLESS OFFERING OF LIFE AND FORTUNE ON THE ALTAR OF PATRIOTIC IDEALS – PRINCIPLED FILIPINO VALUES THAT WE SORELY MISS IN THESE DAYS OF SELFISH OPPORTUNISM AND INORDINATE GREED.
THIS IS A PRECIOUS LEGACY FROM SENIOR TO YOUNGER FILIPINOS AND TO SUCCESSOR-LEADERS IN THE PROTRACTED STRUGGLE FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR OUR BELOVED PHILIPPINES.