“A Day of Reflection”
This was the theme of the first EDSA I anniversary under the Duterte administration –seemingly a thinly-veiled attempt to downplay the event itself given the regime’s political alliance with the Marcos family.
The president, through remarks delivered by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea in a modest commemoration inside Camp Aguinaldo, had his own “reflections” on the EDSA legacy: “Indeed, the spirit of EDSA does not belong to one sector or one group of people, but to all Filipinos who believe in freedom and a democratic way of life.”
This alludes to the emerging narrative of EDSA in the past few years: that it was a failed revolution instrumentalized by elites led by the Aquinos to wrest back control of power.
For years, the nation has celebrated EDSA by declaring it as a holiday for students, holding public commemorations, and for some stores, even holding sales at shops.
On campus, we have witnessed efforts by both the Ateneo administration and the Sanggunian to raise awareness about sociopolitical issues such as the Marcos burial, the bills on death penalty and minimum age of criminal responsibility, and the extrajudicial killings. Administrators, faculty, and organization leaders pooled connections to invite prominent speakers and host various Talakayang Alay sa Bayan (TALAB) activities. All of these efforts allow us to be brought back to a time when the fundamental right to human life was threatened.
The student body has had its share of attempts to promote awareness in light of these issues as well. Over the course of the past few months, there have been walkouts and we have seen a couple of things turn to black: profile pictures, t-shirts, and even the electronic bulletin board along Katipunan. Hashtags, shares, and retweets abound.
The People Power Revolution as we know it did not come into fruition in a matter of just four days. The event took months and years of preparation, required many people to go into hiding, and was partly driven by the unjust deaths of thousands of Filipinos.
In retrospect, we reflect on this: does simply raising awareness do enough justice to our collective memory of the People Power Revolution?
There is no doubt that Ateneans today have grown to be very politically aware. But it is what we choose to do after this recognition of our political awareness that is put into question – in what ways can we still engage?
We need more efforts like TALAB and Sikhay. And we still need to go beyond these. We need to do more than simply raise awareness and release statements. A more organized and continuous vigilance is necessary.
In our last editorial, we advised that the public maintain a watchful eye over those who watch over our country. But this is the call for Ateneans to step beyond awareness. This time, we urge you to engage.
