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Color yellow ‘dragged in the mud of partisan politics,’ priest laments


The priest who celebrated the Mass commemorating the 35th death anniversary of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. on Tuesday said he was "disturbed" that the color yellow has been dragged into partisan politics.

Instead, Monsignor Gerry Santos said, he wants the color to retain what he believes it stood for during the historic demonstrations of 1986: "vigor and strength," "a noble people," "a great race of courage and freedom, peace and active non-violence."

"What disturbs me is that the color yellow has been dragged in the mud of partisan politics. Ang dilawan laban daw sa mga pulahan," he told a sea of yellow-clad mass attendees that include some high-profile politicos.

Vice President Leni Robredo, who wore white, former president Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, and Senators Francis Pangilinan and Antonio Trillanes IV were among those who heard Mass, dubbed the "Mass for National Transformation" at Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City.

"What disturbs me these days is that even some of us who wore the color yellow have compromised the ideals of EDSA, have given in to corruption, have compromised ourselves to cowardice and ineptitude. I resent this way of looking at the color yellow because I wore that color with pride," Santos said.

The color yellow became one of the markers of those who marched in the streets against the Marcos dictatorship in the wake of Ninoy Aquino's assassination on August 21, 1983. It also came to symbolize the supporters and allies of both Aquino presidents.

President Rodrigo Duterte's supporters have used the term "dilawan" against critics, attributing any criticism of the president to pro-Aquino political jealousy, whether accurate or not.

Earlier in his homily, Santos celebrated the "martyrdom" of the elder Aquino.

He also urged mass attendees to stand up against historical revisionism and charter change, saying that the 1987 Constitution, which faces possible amendment of revision, is a product of the EDSA People Power uprising in 1986.

"Let us not allow history to be changed and to be rewritten by the powers that be today. What is history must be remembered," Santos said. "Martial law was oppressive. Never again to martial law!"

"Let us create circles of discernment and integrity and action and in the light of Catholic social teachings respond to these challenges of the times. Let us build common ground with other communities of faith," he said. — BM, GMA News

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