FVR absent in EDSA commemoration
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2019 09:08:16 +0000
GUEST of honor Education Undersecretary Lorna Dino leads the wreath-laying ceremony during the 33rd anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution at the People Power Monument in Quezon City. (Alvin Kasiban)
A motley crowd attended the annual commemoration of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution yesterday at the People Power Monument in Quezon City.
With President Duterte skipping the event for the third straight year and former President Fidel V. Ramos absent, organizers decided to scrap the traditional “salubungan.”
National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) chairman Rene Escalante said that they were instructed not to cause much traffic along EDSA during the event.
“Ang instruction sa amin ay wag masyadong ma-distract ang traffic, so kapag may salubungan baka magkarooon ng epekto,” Escalante said. “May naka-prepare sana kaming salubungan, it just so happened that (former) President FVR did not show up. So, kung nandoon sana siya mayroon sana kaming salubungan,” he added.
Police estimated the crowd that gathered at the monument at around 1,200, less than the number of policemen deployed in and around the vicinity of the monument.
Addressing the crowd, EDSA People Power Commission (EPPC) member Pastor “Boy” Saycon said remembering the revolt is honoring the heroic act of faceless and nameless two million Filipinos who united to peacefully fight for the democracy in the country 33 years ago.
The EPPC is a government agency tasked to “plan, organize, and implement the annual commemoration of the 1986 EDSA Revolution.”
According to Saycon, the celebration of the People Power is in the heart of the veterans who took to streets their courage that toppled the 21-year regime of President Ferdinand Marcos. “We never celebrate (People Power). The celebration is in the heart of the veterans. We are commemorating this faithful day,” he said.
A departure from previous commemorations, this year’s event held at the People Power Monument was kept short and simple through a two-hour event with a wreath-laying ceremony led by Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Lorna Dino, and conferring of Spirit of EDSA and Good Citizenship Awards.
The event concluded with the singing of People Power anthem “Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo” led by iconic OPM singer Renz Verano. (Alexandria Dennise San Juan)