A MILITANT group has asked the Duterte administration not to reduce the 1986 People Power Revolt to a footnote of history, saying the lessons of the antidictatorship struggle must never be forgotten.
“It is not really a question of whether a commemoration is simple. The point of a meaningful commemoration is to appreciate the lessons of the past and use these to guide our actions in the present. The previous regime held grand celebrations but missed out on the real lessons and true heroes of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.
The Edsa celebrations of the past focused on one family, one political color and on the role of politicians and generals. The past celebrations denied the reality that social ills remained the same, 30 years after the toppling of the dictator. Previous governments were, in fact, notorious for suppressing genuine people power,” Bayan Secretary-General Renato M. Reyes Jr. said.
“Meanwhile, the current administration said it has opted for simpler rites, but apparently, wants to mute the lessons of the struggle against the dictatorship in favor of looking toward the future.”
This year’s commemoration will be held at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, the headquarters of the Armed Forces.