Palace, militants say EDSA-1 struggle not yet over

Though coming from different perspectives, both Malacañang and militant organizations believe that the realization of all the aspirations of the EDSA-1 People Power revolt have yet to be achieved. Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said, that while the present administration has made progress in restoring confidence in the economy, guaranteeing food security and establishing peace, Filipinos must continue to stand together. “While our people today enjoy the rights and freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution, there are still freedoms we must continue to fight for: freedom from poverty, freedom from hunger, freedom from want... These are the freedoms we continue to work for,” said Ochoa in a Palace statement. Ochoa, who also heads the EDSA People Power Commission (EPPC), added that President Benigno Aquino III is working to achieve this year’s EDSA anniversary theme “Pilipinas Natin: Abot-Tanaw Na!” “Under President Benigno S. Aquino III, we are building the foundation to attain these aspirations,” he said. Compensation for martial law victims While they lamented that many aspirations of EDSA-1 remained unfulfilled after 27 years, militant groups on Sunday said they are looking forward to the signing into law of a measure that would compensate Martial Law victims. The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said the compensation measure is a long-awaited formal recognition by the Philippine state of the atrocities committed by the Marcos dictatorship. “We hail the Marcos victims for being steadfast in the face of a very, very long and difficult battle. It took 27 years after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship before a compensation bill was passed in Congress,” said Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. He added the passage of the bill was the product of the “tireless campaigning by Marcos victims over four decades of struggling for justice.” But Bayan also lamented that many of the aspirations of the first “People Power” uprising remain largely unfulfilled. It said genuine democracy, social justice, economic and national sovereignty remain dreams for most people. “We commemorate EDSA 1 as a victory of the people in ousting the US-backed Marcos dictatorship. EDSA 1 proved the decisiveness of the mass movement in toppling an oppressive regime,” said Reyes. “However, the commemoration of EDSA 1 is also marked with great disappointment because of the still unfulfilled aspirations of the people and the continuing betrayal of these aspirations by the ruling elite.” He added the "great irony" is that this is already the second Aquino regime, 27 years after EDSA 1 "and still the aspirations of democracy and sovereignty remain unrealized under this government.” Beyond rhetoric Bayan also noted that former First Lady Imelda Marcos, widow of the late dictator Ferdinand, had recently said that she wants to see her son, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., become president one day. The younger Marcos ran for and won a Senate seat in 2010 under the Nacionalista Party, which is now allied with President Benigno Aquino III's Liberal Party. “Beyond the rhetoric and the use of yellow as campaign color, are the candidates this year even thinking of how life has been for the people, 27 years after EDSA? What has happened to human rights, land reform and national sovereignty, nearly three decades after the uprising? And why have the Marcoses secured a political comeback? Why have the past and present regimes accommodated the Marcoses in one way or another?” Reyes asked. — DVM, GMA News