Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and wife Councilor Margot Osmeña led the floral offering to the Bonifacio monument at Plaza Independencia. (CDN PHOTO/JOSE SANTINO S. BUNACHITA)
Andres Bonifacio was a hero and Ferdinand Marcos was not.
This was the message of Akbayan Partylist Rep. Tomasito Villarin during Cebu City Hall’s commemoration of the 153rd birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio at the Plaza Independencia on Wednesday morning.
“Today, as we are celebrating the birth day of Andres Bonifacio, let us declare that Andres Bonifacio was a hero and Ferdinand Marcos was not. And he will never be a hero,” he said in a speech during the program.
Villarin was the guest speaker during the program.
He recalled how Bonifacio led the Katipuneros in fighting the Spaniards who colonized the country. He compared this to how the people overturned the Marcos dictatorship 30 years ago and how now the people are now opposing the burial of Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
“For me, it was clear that the power wielded by Bonifacio was the power drawn from the people who believed and fought like he did. It was people power,” he said.
The activity was attended by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña. The mayor, together with his wife Councilor Margarita Osmeña, led the floral offering to Bonifacio’s monument at the Plaza Independencia.