Bam Aquino: 1986 EDSA People Power an ‘unfinished revolution’

Senator Bam Aquino on Wednesday expressed belief that the fight during the historic 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution is still not over as widespread corruption still lingers until now.

Aquino, nephew of slain former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., said that Filipinos, led by the youth, should continue to be united and pursue the peaceful revolt for a better nation. 

“‘Yung pinaglalaban natin noon, ay pinaglalaban pa rin natin ngayon ‘di ba? Noon, lumaban tayo sa katiwalian, lumaban tayo dahil maraming kalayaan ang hindi naibibigay sa atin, lumaban tayo dahil pakiramdam ng mga Pilipino, nais nila ng isang mas magandang kinabukasan para sa mga anak nila. Marami ‘yan, pinaglalaban pa rin natin ngayon,” he said in an interview on Unang Hirit’s On Record segment. 

(What we fought for before, we are still fighting for today. Back then, we fought against corruption, we fought because our freedom was deprived from us, we fought because the Filipinos felt that they wanted a better future for their children. Many of those, we are still fighting for until today.) 

“So ako, when you talk about the EDSA People Power Revolution, para sa akin, hindi pa siya tapos. Unfinished revolution siya,” he added. 

(So for me, when you talk about the EDSA People Power Revolution, it's not over yet. It’s an unfinished revolution.) 

On February 25, 1986, the EDSA People Power Revolution ousted the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and installed Corazon Aquino, widow of Ninoy, as president.

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, meanwhile, said that anything is possible through the collective action of various sectors working for the common good. 

“Naging posible ang imposible sa EDSA 40 years ago, nang matapos ang 20-year na one-man rule, at naibalik ang mga institusyon ng demokrasya tulad ng Senado at ng malayang pamamahayag,” Pangilinan said in a statement. 

(The impossible became possible in EDSA 40 years ago, when the 20-year one-man rule ended and returned the institutions of democracy like the Senate and free press.) 

“Magiging posible rin na mawakasan ang nepotismo sa pulitika, at mapapanagot at makukulong na ang mga kurakot. Magiging posible ang tila imposible sa sama-samang pagkilos ng iba’t ibang sektor para sa kapakanan ng pinakaaba at pinakamaliliit sa ating lipunan,” he added. 

(Ending nepotism in politics will likewise become possible, and the corrupt will be held to account and will be put in jail. The impossible will once again become possible through the collective action of various sectors, for the sake of the least and the most vulnerable in our society.) —RF, GMA Integrated News