MANILA — The absence of President Rodrigo R. Duterte in the last two anniversary celebrations of the People Power Revolution is not an attempt to diminish the significance of the historical event, Malacañang said Monday.
“There is no attempt to diminish,” Presidential Harry Roque Jr. said in a Palace briefing, noting that Feb. 25 remains a national holiday and public funds are still spent to commemorate it.
“I don’t think there should be any reason to deviate from the fact that by law and by practice, we celebrate EDSA because it was a historical event in our country,” he added.
Roque also rejected claims that it was common practice for presidents to lead the EDSA celebrations noting that past presidents have skipped the event as well.
“I don’t think it’s usual (practice) because even in the past, not all presidents showed up,” Roque said.
He, meanwhile, assured that with or without the president’s attendance, the government will still and always recognize the historic event as “significant.”
“We still recognize and we will always recognize EDSA not only as an important historical event but it was the first bloodless People Power Revolution in the whole entire planet earth and it remains significant,” Roque said.
Duterte is a known friend to the Marcos family and approved the late president’s burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in 2016.
He skipped this year’s EDSA celebration in Manila since he spent it in his hometown city Davao which he regularly visits on weekends.
In 2017, Duterte also skipped the EDSA anniversary rites at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City to attend the relaunch of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in Davao City.
In his EDSA anniversary message, Duterte urged Filipinos to enrich the state’s democracy stressing that “a people’s courage and resolve can alter the course of our nation’s history.”
“Let us further enrich our democracy by empowering our citizenry, defending their rights and strengthening the institutions that safeguard their freedom,” he added.
Duterte said since then, the event also became a symbol of the determination to fight for what is right.
“The People Power Revolution has become the enduring symbol of our determination to fight for what is right and — during our country’s most crucial and trying times — to defend and uphold our cherished democratic values,” Duterte said.
He was also hopeful that the EDSA commemoration would foster unity and solidarity among Filipinos. (PNA)