CEBU CITY – As the country commemorated the 40th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution Wednesday, Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy called for moral conversion.

Speaking in a Mass at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño here, Uy described the popular uprising as a “moment of national awakening” as he reminded the faithful to remember it not only as a historic triumph but also as a continuing summons to conscience.

The spirit of EDSA must remain alive amid persistent corruption and injustice, he said, recalling how millions of Filipinos rediscovered their voice and courage in February 1986.

Uy said Filipinos toppled a dictator without weapons and without bloodshed by banking on peaceful and prayerful resistance.

“Way dugo nga niagas (There was no bloodshed),” said Uy.

Uy said the name “Epifanio delos Santos” is a manifestation of the saints.

“Niadtong Pebrero 25, 1986, ang maong dalan napuno sa mga santos (On Feb. 25, 1986, that road was filled with saints),” he said.

Four decades later, the prelate lamented that the gains of EDSA remain fragile.

“Ngano nga nagpabilin kining bililhon karon? Tungod kay ang atong kagawasan nameligro gihapon (Why is still important today? Because our freedom is still in peril),” he said.

For Uy, many Filipinos are still not free from poverty, trapped in systems of political patronage with the poor settling with temporary aid instead of being given sustainable livelihoods.

Uy added that the country is plagued with “politics of personalities” in which voters choose familiar or famous names without examining competence or integrity.

He criticized the persistence of political dynasties, saying power is concentrated in a few families as though public office were an inheritance.

The prelate lamented that corruption in the country has worsened.

“Ang pagpangawkaw wala lang magpadayon, nagkagrabe pa hinoon (Corruption has not only persisted but also worsened),” Uy said.

The Mass was followed by a march dubbed Sugbuanong Pakigbisog Kontra Korapsyon (SUPAKK 2.0), participated in by the academe, civic groups, and community organizations.

Militant and progressive groups held a rally in the downtown area where they urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte to resign.

Police Lt. Col. Jose Los Baños, information officer of the Cebu City Police Office, said People Power-related activities were generally peaceful.