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EDSA not 'exclusive property' of one family—FVR


On the eve of the first EDSA revolt’s 24th anniversary, former President Fidel Ramos reminded the public that the spirit of People Power does not belong to one family only. Instead, Ramos said the historic mass uprising that ended the Marcos dictatorship and installed the late Corazon “Cory" Aquino to power as the new president in 1986 belongs to all Filipinos. "Yung EDSA, hindi exclusive property ng isang pamilya, isang partido, isang kulay o isang unit o isang commander. [Ang EDSA ay] para sa lahat ng mamamayang Pilipino lalo na sa mga darating pang Pilipino," Ramos said during the fourth day of the weeklong commemoration of the historic revolt at the EDSA monument in Ortigas. (EDSA is not an exclusive property of any family, political party, color, a [military] unit, or a [military] commander. EDSA is for every Filipino.) Ramos, who was himself a principal figure in the EDSA revolt, became Mrs. Aquino's Defense secretary, and later went on to win the 1992 presidential race with her endorsement, could be referring to her son Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III of the Liberal Party. Since Sen. Aquino announced his intention to seek the presidency, he and other LP members have been adopting various symbols of the EDSA revolt for their political campaign, such as yellow for their political color and the iconic figures of Noynoy’s parents themselves. Yellow was the color code for pro-Aquino protest and sympathies was de rigeur since 1983, when Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino Jr. was assassinated, throughout the EDSA revolt itself, until the early 1990s, when Cory’s presidency was besieged by all sorts of ultra-Rightist coup attempts. Ramos, meanwhile, encouraged the public, especially the youth, to remember the lessons of EDSA. "Kasi hindi pa nakukumpleto ang ating rebolusyon dahil sa kailangan umahon pa ang Republika ng Pilipinas (That’s because the revolution is not yet complete, since the Republic of the Philippines has yet to progress)," he said.—Aie Balagtas See/JV, GMANews.TV

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