Wazzup Pilipinas!?
As the world prays fervently for Pope Francis, who remains in critical condition due to worsening lung health, we are reminded of his unwavering commitment to truth and justice. Before being advised to slow down, the Pope spearheaded the Jubilee of the World of Communications in January at the Vatican, where Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa delivered a powerful speech on the global fight against disinformation.
Pope Francis has been a moral beacon, urging Catholics to stand up for human rights, denounce the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and even calling for an international investigation into potential genocide against the Palestinian people. His fearless advocacy has resonated deeply with Filipino Catholics, who recently demonstrated their defiance against historical erasure by declaring February 25—a date deliberately unrecognized by the Marcos administration—as a holiday to commemorate the 39th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
The Marcos Administration’s Dance Around History
Since taking office in 2022, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has continuously attempted to reshape the national memory of EDSA. In 2023, he shifted its commemoration to February 24 under the guise of "holiday economics," surprising many by sending a wreath to the People Power Monument and extending a supposed "hand of reconciliation." This act, however, was met with strong resistance from his own sister, Senator Imee Marcos, who publicly rejected any celebration of the revolution that toppled their father’s dictatorship.
Last year, the government quietly scrapped February 25 as a holiday, downplaying the historical event. This year, Marcos Jr. is once again avoiding its significance, instead focusing on his political campaigns for his handpicked senatorial candidates in the upcoming midterm elections. Meanwhile, the shadow of another strongman looms in the background—former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is now ironically warning the nation that Marcos Jr. is on a path toward declaring martial law.
Duterte’s Opportunistic Playbook
It is a bitter irony that Duterte, who undermined democratic institutions, emboldened police and military corruption, and oversaw a bloody drug war that killed thousands, now attempts to position himself as an opposition figure. He weaponizes fear, warning of Marcos Jr.'s potential autocratic rule while conveniently omitting his own dictatorial tendencies.
Duterte’s camp has been staging indignation rallies, launching their senatorial slate at Club Filipino—a venue symbolic of Cory Aquino’s rise to the presidency post-EDSA—and using anti-Marcos rhetoric as a political tool. But the question remains: Where is the true opposition? Those who once upheld the ideals of EDSA seem caught in an identity crisis, split between the remnants of the "yellow" movement and the emergent "pink" wave, leaving them politically paralyzed.
Erasing EDSA: A Mission Impossible
Attempts to erase the memory of EDSA from the Filipino consciousness are ultimately futile. As historian Antonio Montalvan II notes, "Collective memory comes from people. EDSA represents the Filipino’s happy days, and happy days are not meant to be forgotten but memorialized."
The Marcoses and their allies may try to rewrite history, but they cannot erase the lived experiences of millions who stood against tyranny in 1986. The spirit of EDSA endures in every act of defiance against historical distortion, in every student who demands accountability, and in every journalist who refuses to be silenced.
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The fight for truth is far from over. It is up to us to ensure that history is remembered, justice is pursued, and the future remains in the hands of those who refuse to be silenced.
*From Rappler's Best
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
