THERE’S no need for a revolution for heroism to emerge.
Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo on Saturday urged Thomasians to be heroes by being “servant-leaders” in daily life.
“We no longer need a hero or a one-time revolution. What we need are our collective daily acts of kindness, respect for people’s rights and servant-leadership. We do not need new saviors; our new heroes should be you,” Robredo said in her keynote speech during the Blessed Pier Gregorio Frassat lecture at the Buenaventura Paredes, O.P. building.
Robredo also urged Thomasians to never forget the atrocities of the Martial Law regime, ahead of the 32nd anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
She said people power, which toppled the 21-year dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, was a “beautiful time to be a Filipino.”
“Our teachers knew that we were facing life-changing lessons that cannot be learned inside our classrooms… We were encouraged to join rallies in EDSA and were assured that our grades will not suffer because of it,” she said.
The 1986 peaceful revolt showed the “best of Filipinos” by fighting for freedom that the present generation enjoys, Robredo added.
“We fought firepower with flowers and our prayers. We’re able to oust a dictator with nothing but our indomitable spirits… EDSA was where we felt home again, ” she said.
“Like many of us years ago, your generation must choose where to stand to make sure we do not fail,” she said.
