By Raymund Antonio
Vice President Leni Robredo reminded Filipinos that power lies in their hands and not in the hands of only one powerful leader, a day before the country commemorates the ESDA People Power Revolution on Monday, February 25.
Vice President Leni Robredo
(Photo by OVP / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Ang pinakamahalagang mensahe every EDSA , pagpapaalala ito na iyong kapangyarihan, nasa taumbayan. Pagpapaalala na walang leader na too powerful kumpara sa kapangyarihan na nasa kamay ng bawat ordinaryong Pilipino (The important message of every EDSA anniversary is that power is in the hands of the people. This is a reminder that there is no leader too powerful compared to the power of every ordinary Filipino),” she said.
Robredo, a former human rights lawyer who is a critic of then President Ferdinand Marcos' martial law, said this lesson from the historic revolution that restored the country’s democracy in 1986 should not be forgotten.
“Napaka-powerful dictator iyong namumuno sa atin noon, na marami na nasa older generation nag-iisip na imposibleng ma-unseat…Pero iyong EDSA Revolution showed us na no one is that powerful, ung ang boses na ng tao iyong makialam (The dictator who led us before was so powerful that many of those in the older generation thought he was impossible to unseat…But the EDSA Revolution showed us that no one is that powerful if the voice of the people intervenes),” she said.
While in college at the University of the Philippines Diliman, the Vice President had joined protests that led to the EDSA People Power Revolution against the 14-year martial rule of Marcos.
Robredo will attend today, Saturday, the 33rd anniversary celebration of the Filipinos’ peaceful demonstration at the Immaculate Conception Parish in Naga City, Camarines Sur.
The Vice President said the EDSA People Power Revolt should not be misinterpreted as the “yellow” movement.
Supporters of the Duterte administration refer to critics and members of the opposition as “yellow” or “dilawan,” the color associated with the Liberal Party which Robredo heads.
“The ‘yellow’ is just a small segment of society. The bigger segment of society is composed of the ordinary Filipinos who decided they’ve had enough of abuses,” she said in Filipino.