• ‘EDSA 30’ celebration to focus on ‘millenial’ youth, says Palace official
• More activities lined up for ‘EDSA 30’ celebration, says Palace official
• Palace elated over survey results showing Filipino public shuns corruption
• Palace urges public to watch presidential debates

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said those who were young when the EDSA People Power Revolution happened in 1986 have to know and understand the significance of the event which ended the dictatorship in the country.

“Pagbabago: Ipinaglaban Ninyo, Itutuloy Ko,” ang tema ng selebrasyon ng EDSA 30. Ang espesyal na selebrasyon ngayong taon ay nakatuon sa mga kabataang musmos pa nang maganap ang EDSA People Power Revolution noong 1986, ang mga tinatawag natin ngayong ‘millennial’, said Coloma in an interview over Radyo ng Bayan on Sunday.

“Mahalagang malaman at maunawaan nila ang kasaysayan ng EDSA. Sa pamamagitan ng kilos-protesta ng libo-libong Pilipino, natanggal sa kapangyarihan ang diktadurya na namayani sa bansa nang pairalin ang Batas Militar simula pa noong 1972. Pagkatapos ng pagpaslang kay dating Senador Ninoy Aquino noong 1983, umigting ang pagtutol ng sambayanan sa pagkitil sa mga demokratikong karapatan at sistematikong paglustay ng kaban ng bayan,” said the Palace official.

“Lubos na mahalagang matuto tayo sa mga aral ng kasaysayan. Dapat tayong manindigan at ipaglaban natin ang ating mga karapatan sapagkat maaari itong agawin at ipagkait ng isang diktaduryang mapang-abuso at mapang-api. Nagkaisa tayo sa EDSA noong 1986 batay sa mga prinsipyo ng demokrasya, kalayaan at katarungan. Ito ang tunay na diwa ng ating pagdiriwang ng EDSA 30,” Coloma further said.

Coloma said a wreath-laying ceremony at the Libingan ng mga Bayani for those who fought for the country’s independence will be held on Monday.

“Bukas, ika-22 ng Pebrero, pararangalan sa pamamagitan ng isang wreath-laying ceremony sa Libingan ng mga Bayani ang lahat ng mga bayaning sundalo na lumaban para sa kalayaan ng ating bansa. Pangungunahan ni dating Pangulong Fidel Ramos ang seremonyang ito,” said Coloma.

President Aquino will lead the EDSA 30 celebration on February 25, which is a non-working holiday.

Coloma said thousands of students will join the traditional “salubungan” in front of the People Power Monument, where a program will also be held.

“Libo-libong estudyante ang lalahok sa tradisyunal na ‘salubungan’ sa harap ng People Power Monument sa panulukan ng EDSA at White Plains Avenue. Ang mga anak ng mga bayani ng EDSA at mga lider-kabataan ay lalahok sa salubungan at sa palatuntunan bilang sagisag ng pagnanasa ng bagong henerasyon na panatilihing buhay ang diwa ng EDSA,” said Coloma.

The Palace official also invited the public to visit the People Power experiential museum at the Camp Aguinaldo parade grounds.

“Inaanyayahan ang lahat na magtungo sa People Power experiential museum na nasa parade grounds ng Camp Aguinaldo upang saksihan at maranasan ang iba’t ibang aspeto ng kalupitan at karahasang umiral noong panahon ng Batas Militar. Ang People Power experiential museum ay bukas nang buong araw sa darating na Huwebes at Biyernes, Pebrero 25 at 26, mula ika-walo ng umaga hanggang hatinggabi,” said Coloma.

The People Power experiential museum combines elements of theater, cinema, photography, performances, installations and other allied arts, as it recreates the experience of Martial Law and the struggle of courageous Filipinos to awaken the sleeping masses, Coloma added.

“The visitors enter the various halls of the museum such as the Hall of Deadly Sleep, the Hall of False Dreams, the Hall of Forgotten Martyrs, and the Hall of Awakening, as they journey through various phases of the Martial Law experience and the eventual triumph of the EDSA People Power Revolution.

“Each phase is guided by an actor who assumes the role or character, either imagined or based on history, and takes the audience through the experience that the specific site represents. We especially invite young Filipinos who were born or were growing up at the time of the EDSA People Power Revolution to visit the museum with their parents and elders,” Coloma said.

Coloma said the EDSA People Power Commission has set up an online appointment procedure to ensure the smooth flow of museum visitors. “Visit the Facebook page at edsapeoplepower.com. Those interested may register at this email address: [email protected]. After registering online, you will receive a confirmation email with the timeslot and guidelines,” Coloma said.

Meanwhile, Coloma has denied allegations on politics of revenge with regards to the EDSA 30 commemoration.

“Hindi totoo at hindi makatuwiran ang alegasyon na tayo’y nagsasagawa nang paghihiganti o ‘politics of revenge’. Ang mahalagang isyu rito ay ‘kalayaan at katarungan.’ Ang EDSA People Power Revolution ang naging tugon ng sambayanang Pilipino sa pagkitil sa kanilang mga kalayaan at ang pagyurak sa demokrasya dahil sa pagpapairal ng Batas Militar,” said Coloma.

“Ang mga lumahok sa EDSA People Power Revolution ay nanindigan din para mabigyang-katarungan ang libo-libong biktima ng karahasan at kalupitan noong panahon ng Martial Law. Tulad ng ibang bansa, pinapahalagahan natin ang kabayanihan at ang kadakilaan ng lahing Pilipino. Kaya’t dinadakila natin ang alaala ni Dr. Jose Rizal at ng ‘Sigaw sa Pugadlawin’ nina Andres Bonifacio, pati na rin ang kabayanihan ng mga lumahok sa Death March pagkatapos ipagtanggol ang Bataan at Corregidor,” he explained.

“Kaya nga mayroon ngang kasabihan na ‘those who don’t learn from the lessons of history are doomed to repeat those mistakes,’ parang ganoon ang kasabihan. Kaya mahalaga ang pag-alala sa kasaysayan at matuto sa mga aral ng kasaysayan,” Coloma said. PND (jm)

Coloma said three books were scheduled to be launched on Sunday afternoon at the QCX Event Center at the Quezon Memorial Circle.

“Mamayang hapon ay ilulunsad ‘ang isang comic book na ang pamagat ay 12:01,’ as in ‘yung oras na 12:01, one minute after midnight. Ito ay ang ikatlo at panghuling installment ng serye ng mga aklat na nakatuon sa ating kabataan hinggil sa EDSA Revolution na pinagtutulungan ng ating EDSA People Power Commission at ng Adarna publishing house,” said the Palace official.

“Ito pong aklat na ’12:01′ ay sinulat ni Palanca finalist Russel Molina at ang mga dibuho o drawing ay mula kay Kajo Baldisimo. Ito po ay istorya ng pagkamulat ng isang grupo ng magkakaibigan ‘nung sila ay matagpuan sa… O nakita sila o nandoon po sila sa kalsada na lampas sa oras ng curfew na hanggang—dapat nasa lansangan nang hindi lalampas sa hatinggabi noong panahon ng Martial Law,” Coloma explained.

Also to be launched were “EDSA” which is a counting book featuring symbols of the EDSA Revolution for toddlers and “Isang Harding Papel” which is a storybook about the account of a little girl who grew up without a mother because of Martial Law. The “Isang Harding Papel” won the Filipino Readers Choice Award in the Children’s Picture Book category.

Coloma also mentioned a special forum on PTV-4 and a ballet performance at the Aliw Theater.

“Mayroon din pong ipapalabas sa ating PTV-4 na special forum na ang pamagat ay ‘EDSA 30: Are We Still Worth Dying For?,’ a PTV special forum. Ito po ay i-e-ere sa bisperas ng pagdiriwang natin sa February 24. At sa larangan naman ng sining, mayroon pong isang ballet, full-length ballet na ang pamagat ay “Rebel.” Ito po ay may adaptation dito sa ating bansa na halaw sa kasaysayan ng EDSA Revolution,” said Coloma.

“‘Yon pong artistic director ng Ballet Manila, si Binibining Liza Macuja-Elizalde ay babalik sa entablado bilang prima ballerina. Gagampanan niya ang papel ng ‘Inang Bayan’. Ito po ay nasa entablado ng Aliw Theater sa Pasay City sa February 25, 26, 27 at February 28. Kaya marami pa pong mga events na ating aantabayanan,” he added.

Coloma said a forum called “Talakayan” which tackled the People Power and Philippine nationalism, and a debate among the youth were held at the University of the Philippines in Diliman last week.

“Kaya sana po ay makiisa tayong lahat sa isang makabuluhang pagdiriwang ng anibersaryo ng EDSA, ang ‘EDSA 30′”, said Coloma. PND (jm)

Respondents said they would support a presidential candidate who has not been tarnished by corruption.

“I think it simply reinforces a very basic truth about our countrymen, that they do vote not only according to their conscience, but according to their principles,” Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III said in a radio interview on Saturday.

“If you remember, for example, the Vice President was always arguing that what we have is not a crisis of… The true crisis of morality in the country was poverty and not corruption,” he told dzRB Radyo Ng Bayan.

But the public is the first to understand that corruption is the cause of poverty and that an artificial distinction on the part of the Vice President will not cover up what he has to face, Quezon stressed.

Binay accused the administration party that it has the capability to manipulate the elections and cheat because it has the resources.

Quezon said its the defensive stance of the Binays particularly after the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision on Junjun Binay about corruption in Makait City.

“Now, in terms of the allegations of the Vice President, it’s very easy for him to make that accusation without basis on fact. It may be that he realizes that his own machinery is not as formidable as he used to boast.”

The Vice President is attacking the administration because of the shifting public opinion particularly the beneficiaries of the reforms of Daang Matuwid and that the tide is turning in favor of the administration candidate, he noted.

On accusations that the charges of the Ombudsman are black propaganda of the administration, Quezon said the Ombudsman is an independent body and acting on its own.

“Again, that’s the only thing he can say because, as you know, the Vice President has been given every opportunity to explain his side and to face the charges against him, but he refused to do it,” he said. PND (as)

“I think this early on we should realize na dahil magkakaroon ng debate — ang magiging panalo dito ang taumbayan, lalo na kung magiging saksi sila sa pag-uusap, sa pagprepresenta ng lahat ng mga kandidato ng kanilang plataporma, ng kanilang mga pananaw tungkol sa mga importanteng mga isyu,” Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III of the Presidential Communications Development and the Strategic Planning Office said in a radio interview.

“Sana po—dalawang oras lang ito mula sa ating mga busy schedule — and even on a Sunday kung saan gusto nating lahat mag-relax at medyo mag-de-stress,” Quezon told dzRB Radyo Ng Bayan.

“Siguro maliit na sakripisyo ito para sa bayan na manood tayong lahat, pag-usapan ang mga sagot at ang mismong mga tanong, at sa paraan na ito makatutulong sa ating desisyon sa bayan.”

He said the debate is important because the public will have an opportunity to know what’s in the mind of the presidential candidates on important issues that affect the country.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said everything is set for Sunday’s (February 21) debate in Cagayan de Oro City, which will be held for the first time.

Comelec Chair Andres Bautista this is the first in the country’s history that a presidential debate will be held outside Metro Manila.

All five presidential candidates – Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senators Grace Poe and Miriam Defensor Santiago, former Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte all agreed to attend the debate, which will start at 5 p.m, according to Bautista.

Aside from the Mindanao debate which will be sponsored by GMA 7 and the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Comelec is also organizing two more presidential debates on March 20 in the Visayas and April 24 in Luzon. PND (as)