News Roundup 25 February 2024
Feb 25, 2024 • 4 min Read
38 years after EDSA, Filipinos commemorate People Power, oppose Cha-cha | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — “People Power” is not just a one-time event at EDSA but an ongoing movement against injustice and oppression, groups stressed as they commemorated the 38th anniversary of the revolution that ended the brutal dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Various groups and government agencies staged activities Sunday even after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. removed the EDSA People Power Revolution, which restored democracy in the country, from the list of public holidays in 2024.
In a statement, the Campaign Against the Return of Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA) criticized the move as “a travesty of history and a direct insult to the people.”
“This year, [the Marcos Jr. government] ultimately crossed out the date from the list of holidays—at the same time trying to erase the names of those killed, disappeared and imprisoned under martial rule,” CARMMA said.
The network, composed of martial law victims, human rights groups, and freedom advocates, stressed the need for ongoing resistance against oppressive regimes.
“As long as injustice remains, and tyranny and dictatorship exist, People Power is and should be a continuing reality for our times,” it said.
Historians and human rights organizations have described the Marcos dictatorship as a period of widespread human rights abuses—including torture, disappearances and extrajudicial killings—and corruption that left the Philippines impoverished.
Full Story at: 38 years after EDSA, Filipinos commemorate People Power, oppose Cha-cha | Philstar.com
Ex-president Duterte, who once called God ‘stupid’, organizes another prayer rally | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Aside from opposition forces gathering at EDSA to commemorate the 38th anniversary of the People Power Revolution, a political group from another spectrum is set to conduct a prayer rally on the same day.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to lead a prayer rally against the People’s Initiative (PI) campaign for amending specific provisions of the 1987 Constitution on Sunday at the Kasadya SRP Grounds in Cebu.
Mark Abenir, a social development expert at the Ateneo de Manila University, explained that prayer rallies represent a form of political mobilization leveraging religion for legitimacy, identity and motivation. These events utilize prayer as a means to inspire political action.
He also said that political leaders who are involved in these rallies often gain “moral standing” and “charisma” which make them look like they are aligned with the “divine will.”
“Ginagamit ni dating Presidente Duterte at ng kanyang mga kaalyado at galamay ang prayer rally upang palakasin ang kanilang political base at hamunin ang ‘legitimacy’ ng kasalukuyang administrasyon ni President Bongbong Marcos Jr.,” Abenir said in an online message with Philstar.com.
(Former President Duterte and his allies and cohorts are utilizing the prayer rally to bolster their political base and challenge the ‘legitimacy’ of the current administration of President Bongbong Marcos Jr.)
Full Story at: Ex-president Duterte, who once called God ‘stupid’, organizes another prayer rally | Philstar.com
Marchers: ‘Edsa celebration doesn’t depend on gov’t; we are People Power’ | INQUIRER.NET –BACOLOD CITY – Two rallies were held here on Sunday to mark the 38th anniversary of Edsa People Power Revolution that ousted then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. from power.
About 100 Federation of Urban Poor in Negros (FedUp) members staged a protest to call for freedom from the deceit of what they described as a “sham people’s initiative to change the Constitution.”
The demonstration was held in front of the statue of former Senator Benigno Aquino at Araneta Street.
“We insist on celebrating EDSA despite its not being declared a holiday,” FedUp provincial head Joy Jarabelo said.
“Its celebration does not depend on the government, but on us. We are EDSA People Power,” she explained.
The protesters said the deceit is happening, supposedly in the guise of changing the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, when the motive is really political.
“To deserve this freedom, FedUp refuses to forget a historic event in Filipinos’ lives that brought freedom and democracy back to life in 1986,” she said.
Full Story at: Marchers: ‘Edsa celebration doesn’t depend on gov’t; we are People Power’ | Inquirer News
Groups allege ‘harassment’ by police ahead of Edsa anniversary rites | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Several activist groups participating in the protests against Charter change (Cha-cha) on Sunday condemned what they said were “harassment” from police, saying they were stopped at checkpoints and prevented from joining the scheduled protests.
The protests against Cha-cha coincides with the 38th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said that activists in Laguna and Cavite, who were supposed to enter Metro Manila to take part in the protests, were blocked at checkpoints.
“The police checkpoints were installed to harass activists, conduct illegal surveillance, and discourage people from joining the scheduled protests today,” Bayan’s Secretary General, Mong Palatino said in a statement.
“They are a public nuisance, a waste of government resources, and a clear sign of police intolerance against any form of dissent,” he added.
Full Story at: Groups allege ‘harassment’ by police ahead of Edsa anniv rites (inquirer.net)
