EDSA UNO: TRUTH, JUSTICE AND PEACE

Strange that people associate the word " reconciliation" with the first EDSA revolt. The sight of nuns, priests and ordinary people giving flowers and food to hungry soldiers were interpreted as gestures of friendship and "reconciliation." The "presence" of God was also interpreted as a sort of sign that every Filipino back then, united under the banner of God.


Yes, I agree. People from all walks of life, among them my family and I went to EDSA to join forces with the idealistic military. We went there after Cardinal Jaime Sin sounded the call for the people to protect Enrile and Ramos. We went there because we are sick and tired of Marcos and we wanted nothing more than change.


We, the People, went to EDSA to end a regime and for Marcos to account for the harmful things he did against the People.


We were not there to forgive those who looted the public coffers and corrupted our government, no. We were there seeking Justice from all these harmful things Marcos and his cronies did to our country. We felt then, that Marcos already did enough to destroy this country. The economy was in a very bad shape. The countrysides were burning with nationalist fervor, while the urban areas were deteriorating and in chaos.


The people trooped to EDSA seeking Justice against the oppressive regime. God was even there with us as a God of Justice, not just a God of Love.


We want nothing but achieve peace afterwards, but not without Justice. 


Twenty five years had past and we see the cronies of the old regime still enjoying the perks and privileges of their former dispensation, unrepentant and still spending monies which they got from the people.


Twenty five years and we see former Marcos cronies even bankrolling campaigns of politicians and even occupy sensitive posts in government.


Twenty five years and the trillions lost during the dictatorship are still being recovered and only a handful used for the benefit of the farmers.


Twenty five years and one of the biggest cronies of Marcos still lives and continues to exert a great influence in our government.


Twenty five years and graft and corruption have been institutionalized. 


Instead of Truth, Justice and Peace, the leaders of this so-called revolt forgot all about the people's aspirations and went about their business, "reconciling" with the elites who backed Marcos and probably even asked these elites how to systematically loot the coffers of this country without getting prosecuted.


This is the real Truth behind EDSA. EDSA was love of country, never about loving those who prostituted this Nation. EDSA was about truth, never the truth being peddled by the elites. And EDSA was about peace, but peace with justice. These ideals were never really realized during these twenty five years we celebrate this event. This must end now, and the people must regain EDSA from the dictatorship of the elite.