SPEECH AT EDSA 26th RITES
MANILA, FEBRUARY 26,
2012 (ABS-CBN) President Benigno "Noynoy"
Aquino III led the celebration of the 26th anniversary of the EDSA People Power
Revolution on Saturday morning.
Aquino paid tribute to the collective power of Filipinos to reclaim
democracy, freedom and justice from the Marcos dictatorship.
"Ika-25 ng Pebrero noong 1986 nang nagtipon ang milyung-milyong Pilipino dito
sa EDSA para sa nagkakaisang adhikain---tama na ang diktadura. Tama na ang
kasakiman. Tama na ang pangaabuso ng may kapangayarihan," Aquino said his
speech.
"Nagtagumpay si Juan Dela Cruz nang makamit ang demokrasya sa isang
mapayapang rebolusyon at hanggang ngayon, kinikilala pa rin ng buong mundo
bilang milagro ang 1986 EDSA People Power," he said
The president also celebrated the achievement of the Aquino administration
and acknowledged the country's continued struggle against hunger, poverty,
corruption and the lack of justice for true and lasting reforms.
"Ang rebolusyon sa EDSA ang nagsilbing lunsaran sa kung saan natin gustong
tumungo bilang isang bayan at hanggang sa kasalukuyan hindi pa din tapos ang
rebolusyong ito---kalayaan mula sa gutom; kalayaan mula sa kahirapan; kalayaan
sa kawalan ng pagkakataong umasenso; kalayaan mula sa kawalang katarungan," he
said.
"Walang silbi ang demokrasya kung wala namang pagbabago sa nakakarami," he
stressed.
Gov't programs
The president reiterated government programs that help millions of poor
Filipino families. He said the Conditional Cash Transfer, which seeks to help
2.3 million families, exceeded its target by more than 450,000 families before
the end of 2011.
He added that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program has been felt in 78
cities and 968 municipalities in 80 provinces.
"At hindi po titigil ang lawak ng pagsaklaw ng programang ito hangga't may
kababayan tayong nalulunod pa din sa gutom at kahirapan. Inaasam po natin na
bago matapos ang 2012, tatlong milyong pamilya na ang mabibigyan nating ng
salbabida upang makatawid sila sa pampang na matiwasay na pamumuhay," he said.
In his speech, the president also cited gains in the economy, including the
record-high performance of the stock market and series of upgrades the country
received from ratings agencies.
"Resulta po ang tawag dito. Repormang nagbubukal sa adhika nating maihatid
ang tunay na ginhawa at pagbabago. Resultang dulot ng ating tamang paggugol ng
pondo na nararamdaman at napapakinabang ng maraming Pilipino," he said.
Investments
The president also mentioned the investments infused in the Philippine
Economic Zone Authority or PEZA since he assumed office in mid-2010.
"Ang kabuuang halangang puhunang pumasok sa PEZA mula 1995 hanggang Pebrero
2012 ay nagkakahalaga ng P2.003 trillion. Noong nakaraang taon naabot natin ang
pinakamalakas na bugso ng puhunan sa PEZA sa halagang P288.3 bilyon.
"Umabot na din sa P439 bilyon ng kabuuang halaga ng investment na pumasok sa
PEZA mula sa unang araw ng ating pagkakaluklok hanggang sa pinakahuling datos na
nakalap natin lamang nakaraang linggo."
"Samakatuwid, 22 porsyento ng kabuuang kita ng PEZA sa nakalipas na 16 taon
ay pumasok nang tayo na ang namumuno sa ating bansa," he said.
[PHOTO - President Benigno Aquino III views a photo of his mother, the
late President Corazon Aquino, taken by Kim Komenich. Credit: Robert Viñas/Malacanang Photo Bureu]
Aquino said the system may not be perfect but Filipinos have the opportunity
to correct past mistakes.
"Obligasyon nating alagaan ang ginintuang butil ng demokrasya na ipunla ng
milyung-milyong Pilipinong nagmarsta sa EDSA. Hindi ito lalago kung ito ay
bina-bale wala. Hindi ito uusbong kung walang nagaaruga."
"Sakripisyo, katapatan at dedikasyon. Ito ang idilig nating upang yumabong
ang diwa ng demokrasya. Pagkakaisa, malakasit at pagmamahal sa bansa--ito ang
ibuhos natin upang maging mabunga ang pamana ng EDSA."
"Huwag nating sayangin ang pagkakataong ito. Kinabukasan natin ang
nakasalaylay dito. Panahon na natin ito. EDSA natin ito. Tara na mga Pilipino,"
he said.
Prior to the president's speech, Filipinos who joined the celebration
witnessed the "salubong," or the reenactment of how players in the peaceful
revolution first converged in EDSA. The civilian contingent was lead by the
Metro Manila mayors, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary
Jessie Robrero, and Butz Aquino of the August 21 Movement.
The contingent for the military and police was led by former President Fidel
Ramos, who was then the vice chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, and former executive secretary Eduardo Ermita who was then a
brigadier general.
A helicopter made a fly-by for the yellow confetti shower. Reports from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News and ANC
Enrile's Redemption February 16, 2012 FROM MIDASKS
BLOG @ http://www.midasks.com/
Etched in the annals of history is the role of Juan Ponce Enrile
during the time of Marcos. Acknowledged to be one of the brightest legal minds
in the inner circle of the former dictator, Enrile masterminded the imposition
of martial law by faking his ambush purportedly conducted by the communists.
While being the right hand of Marcos acting on his capacity as the secretary
of defense, JPE also stood as the godfather of then Colonel Gregorio "Gringo"
Honasan. Honasan was acknowledged to be the heart and soul of the RAM (Reform
the Armed Forces Movement) and commanded great respects among the men in uniform
including the then vice chief of staff, Gen. Fidel V. Ramos. (It could be argued
however that FVR only followed the lead of Gringo because he had no choice. But
that is already another story.)
After the inauguration of Cory Aquino as the president of the Philippines
replacing the exiled Marcos, Enrile must have been fuming in rage together with
the framers of RAM. They have been waging war within the AFP to effect changes,
and took control of the country, then all of a sudden Cory Aquino stole the
limelight via people power. (That immediately made JPE, Gringo, and the leftists
as the immediate losers during that tumultuous 1986 people's revolt).
The disdain towards Cory Aquino and the superiority complex immediately made
themselves apparent via series of coup d etat`, that although bloody, were
nonetheless quelled by Cory's loyal troops and the Americans.
The name of JPE was all over. But of course Gringo was the man of the moment.
At one time, the national dailies even carried the picture of JPE behind bars as
its headline.
When FVR took over the reigns from Cory Aquino, JPE's dream of being the
country's president was in the works again. He failed. He later on embraced the
legislature as his kingdom. He reinvented himself and endeared himself with the
"masa" by being the "manong Johnny" that we know now.
The senate presidency is the highest position he got and it is the highest
position he can ever have in this country. Mindful of his background but
forgiving…to a fault.
Now, at the height of impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Renato
Corona, Manong Johnny is thriving in the limelight. And, boy, he has every right
to be so.
Some people are lucky to have redemption while still relevant. Aging, indeed,
is an art.
PNoy's Speech on the 26th EDSA Anniversary
February 25, 2012
Vice President Jojo Binay; Mayor Alfredo Lim; members of the Cabinet
present: Secretaries Volts Gazmin, Rene Almendras, Sonny Coloma; Senator Nene
Pimentel; Commissioner Cesar Sarino of the EDSA People Power Commission;
Archbishop Chito Tagle; Bishop Gabby Reyes; Representatives Asilo, Trisha
Bonoan-David; Mayor Junjun Binay; General Manager Jose Angel Honrado; Vice
Admiral Alexander Pama; local government officials; fellow workers in
government; honored guests; mga minamahal ko pong kababayan: Talagang
napakagandang araw po sa inyong lahat.
Nais ko pong magpasalamat sa lahat ng nakikiisa sa atin ngayong umaga sa
pag-aalay natin ng bulaklak sa monumento ng aking mga magulang: si Ninoy Aquino
at Cory Aquino. Nais man po naming ituring na personal ang pagkakataong ito,
batid po nating bahagi na ng kasaysayan ang kanilang mga pangalan.
Naaalala ko pa nga po: nang pumanaw ang nanay ko po noong Agosto 2009, agad
pong nag-alok ang dating administrasyon na papatayuan ng rebulto ang aming ina.
Tinanggihan po namin ito, dahil alam naming mas gugustuhin pa rin niyang
maisaayos ang pamamahala sa bansa, kaysa mapatayuan ng kanyang sariling estatwa.
Mas gugustuhin niyang makitang nakatindig ang ating bayan, malaya sa katiwalian
at karahasan, kaysa mapatayuan ng sariling rebulto.
May kasabihan nga po iyong mga nakakatanda sa akin: ang sabi po nila, konting
bato, konting semento: monumento. May dambana nga sa lansangan, wala namang
makain sa pinggan. May estatwa nga sa plaza, wala naman trabaho si Juan. Higit
sa anumang rebulto at pagdiriwang, mas maisasabuhay natin ang kadakilaan ng
lahat ng bayani ng EDSA kung kikilos tayo para pangalagaan ang kanilang pamana:
ang atin pong minamahal na demokrasya.
Ito po marahil ang hamon ni Ninoy at Cory sa atin ngayon: ang
araw-araw na isapuso ang diwa ng EDSA People Power Revolution. Noon,
milyong-milyong Pilipino ang nagtipon—mapa-sibilyan o alagad ng simbahan—upang
tumindig at magkapit-bisig para sa kalayaan. Nagawa nilang harangin ang mga
tangke at kanyon, nang walang bitbit na armas kundi pananampalataya at
pagmamahal sa kapwa. Taumbayan po mismo ang nanindigan at bumawi sa ipinagkait
sa kanilang kalayaan.
Ngayon, matapos ang dalawampu't anim na taon, malinaw na hindi pa rin tapos
ang ating laban. Nitong nakaraang dekada ay muling nabalot sa dilim ang ating
bayan, at ngayon, ito na nga po ang nilalabanan at binabago ng atin pong
pamahalaan. Sa ilalim ng liwanag ng tapat at mabuting pamamahala, tiwala akong
mararating natin ang isang bansang malaya sa korupsyon at kahirapan. Sa
tuloy-tuloy nating pagkakapit-bisig sa tuwid na daan, tiwala akong maaabot natin
ang isang lipunang malaya sa hudikaturang may dalawang mukha—na may isang
sistemang pangkatarungang may pinapanigan, at tungo sa isang balanseng
timbangan.
Buo po ang loob ko na kaya nating mapagtagumpayan ang labang ito, na kaya
nating makamit ang inaasam nating pagbabago. Anuman pong bigat ang pasanin natin
sa ating balikat, hindi po tayo titiklop o magpapatinag. Hangga't may ngiti
tayong naihahatid kay Juan dela Cruz, hindi po tayo mauubusan ng dahilan upang
suklian din ng ngiti ang ating paglilingkod sa bayan.
Tandaan lamang po natin: ang trabaho sa pagkamit sa pagbabago ay trabaho ng
bawat Pilipino—hindi lamang po ni Ninoy at ni Cory Aquino. Ngayong ganap na
tayong malaya, ngayong natatanglawan na tayo ng liwanag ng demokrasya,
samantalahin na po natin ito: muli nating pag-alabin ang diwa ng EDSA at
ipamalas ang bayanihan, tungo sa isang mas maliwanag na kinabukasan.
Kayang-kaya po natin ito. Tara na po, Pilipino!
Maraming salamat po. Magandang araw po sa lahat.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved
PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet
This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.
To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/
(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
phno-digest@yahoogroups.com
phno-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
