Remembering EDSA I

The death of Corazon Aquino has brought back a lot of fond memories of EDSA I PEOPLE POWER. At that time, I had just turned 21 and i was graduating from B.A. Political Science from U.P. Times were the same then, as they are now. Corruption was rampant. President Marcos and his close associates ("Cronies") controlled everything: Ministry of Justice, Military, Sandiganbayan, all the courts, Comelec, and government offices, the metrocom (now pnp-ncrpo). We would go to rallies in our yellow "ninoy Aquino Laban" t-shirts, while being mocked and jeered at the sidelines by KBL (Marcos) loyalists: "Sinasayang nyo lang oras nyo!". At that time the dictator was so powerful that it seemed that we were just indeed wasting our time. Elections were a joke (I was a NAMFREL volunteer). After the snap elections, Cory Aquino called for the boycott of companies and banks perceived to be run by marcos cronies: San Miguel products, Philippine National Bank, UCPB, and we were requested not to pay our taxes and/or patronize government offices. That is how low our country was at that time. My friend Mortimer and I, drove around at night painting on walls, "MARCOS SUPOT" or "RESIGN". One night a car stopped behind us and my friend came running back, slipped, and fell face first into a dirty, black, street canal. The car turned out to be a regular car just trying to avoid our vehicle. My father, a career professor and Chancellor of U.P. Diliman was apolitical and preferred Marcos than a civil war. On the second day of EDSA I when premature news that Marcos had fled, he turned balimbing and joined my mother and I at the gate of camp crame for some photo ops. Yes, EDSA brought out the best even in the most apathetic fence sitters in our society. The phrase "i don't want to get involved" was no longer an option. When Marcos fled on the night of the 25th of February, My mother and i drove out and parked our old white box type lancer at a sidestreet near mendiola near malacanang and we joined the initial mob which broke into malacanang. It was a scene from hell wherein people could be seen running around the upper floors of the palace, sounds of glass shattering, shots being fired, and people (mostly squatters) running away with anything they could lay their hands on, a screaming and chanting mob in the stage in malacanang where marcos had made his last appearance. Armored personnel carriers, weapons, uniforms, and ammo, were abandoned and littered the malacanang palace grounds (i regret not having stolen one) . In the middle of this anarchy and chaos a foreign reporter even had the time to interview me as to my feelings about this whole thing! My mother was of course terrrified, but i was enjoying every minute of it. On TV (the newly captured "people's television" channel 4), Announcers Bong Lapira and June Keithly openly wept when the news that marcos had fled erupted. It was very emotional for those who lived under the yoke of the dictatorship. I wasn't really expecting this generation to give a damn about all this. But it gave me a surprise that this generation is not taking their rights or government for granted. That's a good sign. Because once you have tasted freedom, it is very difficult to give up. I join all Filipinos in giving their heartfelt Thanks and Honor to Corazon Aquino. It still is a great time to be Filipino. New heroes will rise again in our generation to fight for our country and everything that is good and just.