FOUR DECADES ago, former Varsitarian editor in chief Emmanuel Victor “Vim” Nadera and sports editor Nicanor “Nic” Lalog were simply looking for a late-night hangout spot, unaware of the history unfolding before them.
Lalog recalled that gasoline stations along Quezon Avenue were packed with motorists filling their tanks. Still oblivious to the events, they turned on the radio inside their vehicle.
“Nakinig kami sa radyo, iyon ang balita, na nadiskubre ‘yong coup attempt nina Enrile at nando’n pa yata sila sa Camp Aguinaldo noon,” Lalog told the Varsitarian.
It was Feb. 22, 1986 — the first day of the People Power Revolution that ousted the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Nadera echoed the memory, saying the final three years of Marcos’ rule had signaled its impending collapse.
“‘Yong demokrasya ay boring pero may kahihinatnan to, sabi nga nila sa tamang panahon — at ‘yong tamang panahon, ‘nong 1986,” Nadera said.
The uprising installed Corazon Aquino as president following a snap election marred by fraud.
For Lalog, the revolt’s promise was clear: equal opportunity within a functioning democracy.
“Lagi nang may eleksyon, nagkaroon ng bagong saligang batas, constitution, meron nang laging eleksyon. Kaya lang, bumalik ‘yong dating bulok na sistema,” said Lalog, now an ordained priest for Malolos diocese.
Nadera, a poet and therapist, attributed criticism of the nonviolent revolt to what he described as “social amnesia.”
“Dahil hindi nila alam ‘yung kasaysayan, nauulit-ulit ‘yong kamalian, hindi naitutuwid ‘yong baluktot na nangyari noong unang panahon,” he said.
In 2022, another Marcos assumed the presidency. Under his term, the EDSA anniversary was removed from the list of regular holidays, citing “holiday economics.”
READ: How holiday economics is killing the EDSA spirit | The Varsitarian
Lalog, who serves as chaplain of Our Lady of Fatima University, said the revolution rekindled his vocation.
“It was during the EDSA revolution na nagsimulang kilitiin muli ng Diyos ‘yong bokasyon ko sa pagpapari,” he said.
‘Deny, then suffer more’
Lalog said acknowledging his generation’s shortcomings was crucial to preserving EDSA’s legacy.
“To deny EDSA, to forget EDSA, is to be open to more suffering,” he said.
Nadera urged the youth to harness their collective power.
“Kailangan pa bang bumilang ng 40 taon para magising tayo muli? Sana gamitin natin ang ating kapangyarihan para ibalik sa tama ang ating naligaw na landas ng kasaysayan,” he said.
The 40th anniversary of the uprising coincided with the third installment of the Trillion Peso March, mounted to protest government corruption linked to anomalous flood control projects.
“‘Pag nakalimutan mo ‘yong EDSA, nakalimutan mo na rin lahat ‘yon, magsisisi kayo,” Lalog said.
Nadera called on the present generation to carry forward the fight against corruption.
“Kung nagkamali man kami, sana may maiwang mensahe sa susunod na henerasyon na ipagpatuloy nila. Hindi pa tapos ang aming nasimulan,” he said.
Malacañang did not declare this year’s anniversary as a holiday, leaving the observance to local government units and private institutions. With reports from Alexandra S. Demaisip, Fritz Nathan A. Diaz, Luis Angelo N. Palma, and Justin Jacob S. Urag
