whether PBBM likes it or not

There are times when I am proud to be a product of a private Catholic school like La Salle. This week is one of those times.

The supposed president of the Philippines – one Ferdinand Marcos Jr. – has downgraded the commemoration of the EDSA revolt to a special working day, rather than the holiday that it truly is.

And to think that this boy Marcos also had a La Salle education, makes me sick to my stomach. He’s an elementary graduate of La Salle Greenhills, where he also spent a part of his high school life before heading off to London to study, and never graduate because all he did was party at the Filipino people’s expense.

This week, the top Catholic schools in the Philippines declared Feb. 25, the 39th anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolt, as a non-working day.

Take that, BBM!

Incidentally, I still refer to the events of 1986 as a revolt, and not as a revolution as most people do. It was a revolt that saw the removal of a hated regime, but it was not a complete revolution because most of the country’s political structures remained intact.

The fact that the son and namesake of the reviled dictator is now president is the best proof that it was no revolution.

Late last week, the Marcos regime downgraded EDSA expecting Catholic schools to take it lying down. They did the exact opposite.

First to declare that “there will be no classes and work on Feb. 25” was the University of Santo Tomas. The Dominican-run UST is one of the oldest universities in Asia.

In a memo to the community, UST secretary general Fr. Louie Coronel said: “Let us stand united and never forget that true power lies in the collective will of the people, and it is our responsibility to uphold the values of integrity, justice, and freedom for generations to come.”

A couple of days later, the Catholic schools along EDSA-Ortigas belonging to the EDSOR Consortium announced that they “have agreed to celebrate this date as a special non-working holiday despite Malacanang’s exclusion of this historic event.”

The EDSOR Consortium is comprised of the Immaculate Conception Academy, La Salle Greenhills, Saint Pedro Poveda College, and Xavier School.

In a statement, they said: “We will continue to keep the spirit of EDSA alive despite active efforts to undermine it.”

As for my favorite, all 16 La Salle schools of De La Salle Philippines also released a joint statement this week.

They said: “Despite the current administration’s declaration to downgrade Feb. 25 to a special working holiday – diminishing the significance of this historic event that toppled the Marcos Sr. dictatorship – we, the La Sallian Family, remain steadfast in upholding the Filipino people’s victory in reclaiming their rights and liberties.”

They also said: “Let us resist all attempts to erase from our collective memory what our nation achieved in February 1986.”

It is good to know that for as long as there are Catholic schools in the country – let’s stop referring to them as exclusive schools, ok? – the spirit of EDSA will remain alive.

Still, the sad fact remains that political dynasties remain entrenched in power as can be gleaned from the number of congressmen, mayors, and governors nationwide.

I sense that there is a strong desire by the people to rid the government of these trapos, but there is little that they can do.

The only place that non-trapos have a fighting chance of getting elected is in the Senate, but only if celebrities run against (or alongside) the members of rich and powerful dynasties.

It’s hard to say which is worse – a Senate populated by trapos or by washed up movie stars who only have to sing and dance to win.

This is not to say that celebrities and entertainers have no place in Philippine politics. 

To recall, there were a good number of celebrities who were part of the EDSA uprising, and they were not washed up has-beens either. A lot of celebs at the top of their game kept the millions gathered at EDSA entertained during those three fateful days when anything could have happened.

This is where the promise of EDSA remains unfulfilled. The political system remains severely damaged.

It is, however, not as hopeless as it seems. After the post-Cory Aquino years, the Philippines did manage to elect at least two highly qualified leaders to the presidency. 

In my book, Fidel Ramos and Noynoy Aquino were able to keep the promise of EDSA alive with nothing more than their competency and implementing good government, by example.

Recall that under FVR, the Philippines attained tiger cub economy status, while under PNoy, the Philippines became the darling of global investors.

In the end, the economy is all that matters. If the economy is strong and jobs are plentiful, true progress can be attained.

Alas, the Filipino electorate has been blinded again and again by the worst presidential candidates, from Erap Estrada to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to Rodrigo Duterte to Bongbong Marcos, all of whom took turns ruining and weakening the political system.

Marcos may be the worst of them all, because he is actively rather than passively trying to expunge EDSA from Philippine history.

His is a dog and pony show that flaunts supposed economic growth, while pretending massive graft and corruption is not taking place under his regime.

He conveniently ignores that underlying desire of the people for real change, not the cosmetic movements that always prove meaningless.

His regime is soon to reach its halfway mark, and he is wishing and hoping that he can coast along until the end of his term, when he will likely anoint the Speaker to succeed him.

What he doesn’t know is this: the spirit of EDSA is alive and well, even if it has seemingly gone underground.

Just as his father the dictator saw communists everywhere during his regime, so too is Bongbong Marcos being hounded by the spirit of EDSA, who come in the form of those who proclaim themselves Dilawan and more recently Pinklawan.

There are millions of them, Mr. Marcos. They have the Roman Catholic Church and the private Catholic schools behind them.