TANDAG CITY (MindaNews / 25 February) – A people standing together can overcome tyranny, a church official said during the mass Wednesday marking the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolt that toppled the dictatorship of then-President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
“Through the historic EDSA People Power Revolution, we stood united in truth, courage, and faith and changed the course of our history. It remains a living reminder that when Filipinos stand together, we are stronger than fear, stronger than oppression,” Bishop Raul Dael of the Diocese of Tandag said in his homily where he recalled events that led to the four-day uprising.
Dael traced the roots of the event to the declaration of martial law in 1972 by Marcos, which resulted in widespread human rights abuses such as warrantless arrests, and the suppression of press freedom and freedom of expression.
He highlighted the vital role of the Diocese of Tandag in providing a sanctuary for those seeking help during those dark times.
At that time, the diocese was headed by the late Bishop Ireneo Amantillo, a vocal critic of the abuses of martial law.
“EDSA didn’t happen immediately. It was the product of many events. During a time when life was extremely difficult for the Filipino people, their only thought was to fight, and the place they turned to was the Church,” he said.
Dael also recalled the assassination of Benigno S. Aquino Jr., which transformed national grief into a movement.
He described the events related to the fraud-marred snap elections of February 7, 1986, including the walkout of more than 30 computer technicians from the Philippine International Convention Center where they were tabulating the results of the polls, after they noticed discrepancies between the figures displayed and the data from their computers.
“The workers felt they were being forced to do something wrong. They walked out because they believed it was against professional ethics,” he said, recalling his own experience as a student volunteer during one of the darkest chapters in Philippine history.
“My dear brothers and sisters, especially the students, many of you did not witness what happened in EDSA in 1986, but you enjoy the freedom it secured. The millions of people who gathered there could not be dispersed. That was the strength of people power,” he said.
The enduring message of EDSA is “Encounter, Discernment, Standing, Act Together,” Dael said.
“EDSA was not just an ordinary historic event; it was a sacred moment for us Filipinos because, at that time, we felt God’s intervention,” he added.
He said that powerful moment in history echoes a painful chapter under the Marcos dictatorship, when one man believed he could own a nation. “But the Filipino people chose a different path.”
He also called on the youth to remain vigilant in safeguarding democracy.
“Protect democracy. Stay vigilant. Act for the common good. Our faith does not call us to silence. It calls us to stand, to participate, and to defend both people and creation. Because when we stand together grounded in truth and guided by faith we can still make a difference,” he said. (Queenie Casio/MindaNews)
