1986 People Power: A global inspiration; forgotten at home
An American national expressed his disappointment over the number of people who joined yesterday’s ceremonies for the 28th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution despite its historical importance.
James Rhodes, who hails from Virginia, USA, said he expected more people to flock to the Cebu Provincial Capitol grounds to relive the “Salubungan,” the crucial point in the uprising that led to the end of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship.
“Maybe if people knew the significance of the event or knew their history with more depth then I guess they would come up here,” said the 55-year-old who is in the province to help in the repair of her Filipina wife’s house in Daanbantayan following supertyphoon Yolanda.
The police estimated the crowd composed of students, military officers and government employees to reach around 35,000. However, only a small portion of the Osmeña Boulevard was filled by spectators. Conservative estimates placed the crowd at 5,000.
Among them was Rhodes who woke up early in the morning and took the time to attend yesterday’s People Power rites which was held outside Metro Manila for the first time in almost three decades.
The foreigner listened intently to the speeches of Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III and President Benigno Aquino despite the language barrier.
He said he first knew about People Power 28 years ago when news of the “peaceful revolution” was aired in the US.
“The ceremony is good. In the US, you don’t even get this close with the President (Barrack Obama) because the security is much tighter,” he told Cebu Daily News.
“I think it is not everyday that you get to see the President and all of your government officials at one setting,” he added.
The Edsa People Power which ran from Feb. 21 to 25, 1986 was hailed worldwide as a bloodless revolution.
It was one of the earlier people’s struggle worldwide that was covered by CNN for worldwide audience.
Political scientists worldwide consider the Edsa People Power as one of the inspirations of the peacefall fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Germany in 1989 and the peaceful disintegration of the Union of Soviet Union Republics in 1989 and the early 1991.
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