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BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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Monday, February 26, 2018
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PH marks 32nd People Power anniversary
MANILA – As the Philippines celebrated the 32nd anniversary of the EDSA People Power yesterday, the opposition party reminded Filipinos of their power as a “united voice.”
Former president Fidel V. Ramos, on the other hand, stressed that Filipinos must continue to instill the values of solidarity and unity brought about by the uprising on Feb. 25, 1986.
The duty to listen to the people remains the core sense of democracy, the Liberal Party said on Sunday.
“Whatever powers may be bestowed on any leader, there is nothing more powerful than the united voice of a people who know their rights and are ready to fight hard for them,” said the party.
“In times of turmoil, exceptional are the Filipinos who stand their ground and speak their mind, especially if their right to be critical of the government is threatened,” it added.
The Liberal Party encouraged the public to not fear speaking out.
“The triumph of our nation rests on our fiery will,” the party said. “In our remembrances today, we should keep our will strong and unbreakable.”
“There is so much farther to travel, so much more to do, but the spirit of EDSA burns bright in our hearts. We will continue to stand and fight – for freedom, for justice and for country,” added the party led by former president Benigno Aquino III.
Meanwhile Ramos stressed that the 1986 EDSA People Power that drove the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. to exile marked the beginning of change and “was not the end.”
“The outcome, which is a better future for our Filipinos, must be done by the succeeding administrations,” he said in a speech during yesterday’s commemoration.
Presidential Adviser for Economic Enterprise Joey Concepcion, on the other hand, said democracy may not be fulfilled if only a few prosper, and all Filipinos have this chance under the Duterte administration.
“In each leadership that we had in the past, the challenge is always how to bring prosperity to all our Filipino people,” he said. “Today, we have that single chance – a leader that may bring about that opportunity to bring wealth to the least fortunate.”
President Rodrigo Duterte said the 1986 uprising “has become the enduring symbol of our determination to fight for what is right, and to defend and uphold out cherished democratic values.”
The President said he hopes to enrich democracy by empowering citizen action and defending their rights and freedoms.
For his part, Joel Villanueva said the EDSA People Power revolution “showed us how Filipinos worked together amid trivial differences to defend our freedom.”
“Let us not forget how Filipinos fought to be heard,” the senator said. (With Philippine News Agency/PN)
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