25/02/2025
[STATEMENT OF 2ND YEAR BS SPEECH PATHOLOGY STUDENTS & A 4TH YEAR BS ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION STUDENT OF PI 100 TFG2 ON EDSA PEOPLE POWER ANNIVERSARY]
Today marks the 39th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution that made Marcos Sr. step down from power.
It was on February 22, 1986 that Cardinal Sin appealed to people through the Radio Veritas to converge on EDSA to support Enrile and Ramos, who were planning a coup. By Midnight of February 23, tens of thousands of people started their march towards EDSA and throughout the next two days, people continued gathering, forming a human barricade on the streets. On February 25, Marcos Sr. and his family fled the country and the people power revolution ended 2 decades of dictatorship.
The EDSA People Power Revolution must be commemorated yearly because it continues to serve as a strong testament to the resilience and solidarity of Filipinos in the face of tyranny. During the dictatorship of Marcos, countless Filipinos suffered under Martial Law, enduring violations of human rights, suppression of freedom, and economic affliction. It is our obligation to the victims and the entire nation to remember their sacrifices and make sure that history is never forgotten. Honoring this event also instills hope, showing that when we Filipinos come together in unity, we have the strength to reclaim democracy and fight against injustice.
As we commemorate the EDSA People Power Revolution (1986), we recall our beloved national heroโs influence and valor on fighting for our country and the Filipino peopleโs independence. Today is not only a day of recollection and celebration of our fight against dictatorship and oppression, it is an attestation of the living and unwavering spirit of nationalism and resistance against corruption, injustice and abuse of power led by those sitting in positions of authority. In the same way that Jose Rizal changed the course of Philippine history through his activism and writings such as Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, the Filipino people fought against the Marcos regime through a peaceful revolutionโone that successfully ousted the dictator without any bloodshed.
39 years have passed since the Filipinos overthrew the dictator, Ferdinand Marcos. But now, the Marcoses are back in power, tainting, concealing, and revising the truth of the revolution. The Filipinos must now stand again in solidarity to prevent history from repeating itself. We must resist the oppression of truth and abuse of power by the Marcos regime, and fight for the justice of those who shed their blood, sweat, and tears for standing up for what is right.
Triggered by fraudulent โsnap electionsโ and joined by Filipinos from different walks of life including the religious, the shout of the people for democracy intensified giving way for what we know as a peaceful revolution. In a time of diminished press freedom and the armed repression of fundamental rights of expression, bringing back and giving a voice to those caged by circumstances is an endeavor that runs parallel with our field of Speech Pathology. It is imperative that we strive for a society that protects every individualโs right to express themselves freelyโto communicate what needs to be said and to stand up for what is right and just. The EDSA People Power Revolution must live on, now that the powers it seeked to remove then have risen again in the Marcos Jr. regime.
The 2nd Year BS Speech Pathology students and a 4th Year BS Organizational Communication student of UP Manila under PI 100 TFG2, stands with the nation in honoring the People Power Revolution, a testament to the unwavering courage of Filipinos in reclaiming democracy. As students of the University of the Philippines, we stand in firm solidarity with the ideals of the People Power Revolution, a historic movement of the Filipino movement against injustice and oppression. As an Iskolar ng Bayan, we have a duty to remember, to educate, and to resist any attempts of historical deletion. The past must never be forgotten, for it serves as both a reminder of the sacrifices made for our freedom and a warning against the return of dictatorship. The battle is still not finished, the fight for truth, justice, and democracy continues.
Never forget. Never Again.
Caption by: Kristine Austria, Atijah Renovalles, Kervee Pastoril, Jiro Perez, Shelvy Calica, & Rowenn Erasmo
Pub by: Trixie De Leon & Gabrielle Barleta
