Palace exec: Let Congress decide on renaming of EDSA

Published November 24, 2011 3:28pm

A senior Palace official said Thursday Malacañang it would leave to Congress the matter of renaming EDSA (Epifanio delos Santos Avenue) to Cory Aquino Avenue.

“As far as the Palace is concerned, alam nyo naman si Pangulong Aquino, he does not want to raise… it’s part of the billboard thing,” presidential spokesperson Lacierda told reporters at a press briefing in Malacañang.

“It’s not proper for us to comment. It’s a self serving statement if we are to comment on that. It’s a congressional initiative, let Congress decide on that,” he said.

He refused to give further comments on the matter. In giving hints of the President's most likely attitude toward the matter, Lacierda cited a previous directive issued early into Aquino's presidency.

In August 2010, President Aquino issued a directive to all Cabinet secretaries and heads of government agencies and government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) to refrain from associating his personality and identity in their programs and projects.

The President has also refused offers to have some government programs named after him.

Earlier, Bohol Rep. Rene Lopez Relampagos filed House Bill 5422 in honor of President Corazon Aquino. The bill underwent first reading last week and is now pending before the House committee on public works and highways.

Relampaogs said the avenue should be named after the late Philippine leader because “one cannot think of the 1986 EDSA Revolution without thinking of Corazon Aquino.”

The bill effectively calls for the repeal of Republic Act 2140, which names the avenue — originally called Highway 54 — after Filipino historian Epifanio de los Santos.

The measure will have to undergo committee and plenary hearings, and will have to get approval of majority of House members before it can be passed by the House.

As early as 2009, when Mrs. Aquino succumbed to colon cancer, there have been congressional initiatives to rename EDSA to Cory Aquino Avenue.

The 24-kilometer EDSA, which serves as Metro Manila’s main highway, has carved a niche in Philippine history as the site of the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and catapulted democracy icon Mrs. Aquino to the presidency. It was also the site of the 2001 EDSA uprising where the Armed Forces heirarchy withdrew its support from then-President Joseph Estrada, eventually leading to the assumption to the presidency of then-Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News

Tags: edsa, corazonaquino, coryaquino,