“Mga kriminal na ang malaya! Ang nakulong ay walang sala! Ang tama ay mali! Ang masama’y mabuti!”
(The criminals are free! The imprisoned are innocent! Right is wrong! Bad is good!)
Protesters sang along to these lyrics from Danny Fabella’s protest song Baliktad na ang Mundo. Despite hailing from different backgrounds, clergy, students, LGBT groups, and Lumads all gathered as one in EDSA Shrine last February 23 to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution.
With the slogan Tayo ang EDSA, the groups called on the government to address various pressing issues, such as extrajudicial killings, press freedom, and the extension of Martial Law in Mindanao.
Gathering of the faithful
Before moving to EDSA, a brief program was held in La Salle Green Hills organized by De La Salle Philippines (DLSP). With the theme One Voice, One Faith, One Nation, various religious leaders spoke to the delegates at the event.
Bishop Emergencio Padillo of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines emphasized the broken promises made by the administration over the years and urged the crowd to not sit idly and beg for peace, but rather to take on a more active role as “[Peace] is to be fought for.”
Apart from fighting for peace, the speakers also emphasized the importance of being one with the poor. As Sr. Tess Docenado from the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines put it, “It is an imperative—if we call ourselves Christians, if we call ourselves church—it is an imperative to be in solidarity with the poor.”
March on EDSA
The protesters donned handkerchiefs in the style of tubao headgear—a symbol of protest as well as solidarity with Lumad groups in Mindanao. The DLSP contingent marched onward from the LSGH campus to join with other groups near the shrine. Upon reaching within the vicinity of the venue they were confronted by a line of policemen guarding the perimeter. However, the participants proceeded with the rest of the activities.
DLSP President Br. Armin Luistro FSC, in his opening remarks, talked about the spirit of resistance against a government that he views as having no compassion. “Ang sagot natin sa mga sinasabing ‘nanlaban ka pa kasi’ ay ganito: ‘Hindi kami natatakot, narito kami para lumaban,’” he stated.
(Our response to those who say “Why did you fight back?” is this: “We are not afraid; we are here to fight.”)
Former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno also gave her take on the resistance against the current regime, urging the youth to address the various injustices at present.
Cementing the messages given by the speakers were the various performances, such as a rendition of the song Bayan Ko at the end of the program.
To never forget the spirit of EDSA
Atom Araullo, a reporter from GMA who was also covering the event, stressed the importance of having media coverage for the event, as it served as a reminder to people that there is an actual EDSA Revolution that happened over 30 years ago. “This is certainly a moment in Philippine History that we shouldn’t forget, and we should draw the connection between what happened more than 30 years ago and [what] people are basically fighting for today,” he emphasized.
Apart from simply remembering the event itself, the commemoration aimed to bring people together to help remember and relive the spirit of the EDSA Revolution. As Dr. Rel Renato from the National Council of Churches in the Philippines summarized, “Tayo ngayon ay nagkakaisang nagsasama-sama at binabawi natin ang tunay na diwa ng EDSA.”
(Today, we come together to bring back the true meaning of EDSA.)
