Filipino thought leaders always jump at every opportunity to apply their favorite “people power” frame to personal thoughts on current events that they share. Inquirer columnist Randy David, for one, still believes in people power and expounds on this in his piece “South Korea’s ‘Edsa Tres’ moment” where he highlights a key insight…
South Korea’s current political crisis bears echoes of these Philippine episodes but diverges in significant ways. Where the Philippines often turned to mass mobilizations to decide outcomes, South Korea’s institutions—the National Assembly, Constitutional Court, and CIO—are at the forefront. And, so far, the military leadership has not shown any sign that it is about to take sides or intervene. This institutional approach may have its limitations, but it underscores the value of giving legal and procedural norms and processes a chance to work, even amid political turmoil.
David doesn’t want to admit that what the Yellowidiots refer to as Edsa 1 and 2 were nothing more than successful coup attempts. This is why I wonder why the moron anchors of SMNI, the media organisation loyal to former President Rodrigo Duterte, call for protests at the People Power shrine when Duterte largely downplayed EDSA people power celebrations because of their divisiveness.
Any move to oust the present administration is not and will not be people power. It will be a coup d’etat. This is the main defect of our political system which is why I still believe that a parliamentary system of government is best for the Philippines as it is the norm in the region also. In the parliamentary system, the prime minister can be ousted by a no-confidence vote, which triggers new elections, or the selection of a replacement among the ranks of current members of parliament. Our system doesn’t allow this and we’re stuck with a president who can continue to do more harm as he finishes his six years term.
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The other challenge in our case is the fact that our lawmakers are bereft of honesty and integrity. They are easily bought off. The South Korean mindset, as explained by someone who deals with them on a regular basis, is to act with a sense of urgency. This is why they were able to mobilize quickly in Seoul to protest against the actions of the president and pressure the military into submission.
In short, patriotism is fervent in South Korea while in our case, it’s the bare minimum and only expressed on social media. Kamote pa rin tayo.
Cook wide reader political crackpot music afficionado old soul out-of-the box thinker aspiring writer tech geek gearhead
There can never be a regime change without a military component or without any coercive instrument involved. JPE and FVR planned a coup but was discovered midmorning of Feb 22, 1986. The snitch did a Luigi Mangione after the suicidal press conference of an insignificant PC Capt Juan Vicente Resurreccion with the Laurel brothers and his wedding godfather assemblyman Carlos Padilla of Nueva Viscaya the day before pushing JPE and FVR, the RAM and Sigma Rho to panic and to force JPE to ask the help of Cardinal Sin and JPE doing the ludicrous claim that FEM cheated but did not admit that he orchestrated the Operation Zero against Cory Aquino in Region 2 just to save himself and his army of legal advisers that would have operationalize soonest the transition of power from the military coup to a purely civilian government and not a banana republic.
Edsa1 was an induced defensive coup( a breakaway of establishment leaders with coercive instruments for fear of their lives) while Edsa2 was a planned power grab, an opportunistic copy cat of Edsa1. Both use deity as an excuse to draw warm bodies to shield the leaders who wanted to replace the power wielders.
This induced defensive coup can be replicated in Beijing and Manila to spare the bloody scenario of foot soldiers and civilians sacrificed as cannon fodder for the conceived absolute truths of power wielders like Xi Jinping and in our warring greedy politicians and their KKK.
There has never been opportune glorious repeat of the induced defensive coup of mid morning of February 22, 1986 than in the coming days after Trump assumes the USA presidency and where the country watches the spectacle of VP Sara impeachment and acquittal in the Senate.
The anti totalitarian China Magister Ludi and his sidekick must move suspending the Constitution to prevent VP Sara in changing the foreign policy to favor China among others and bring back a modified 1973 Parliamentary Constitution with a death penalty on heinous crimes which include treason in peacetime, plunder, economic sabotage, illegal drug trade and its possession, among others basically following the Singapore model of governance with discipline and accountability of public officers as its pillar.
It pains me, as a foreigner here now two years, to witness the self-loathing prevalent on this site. Knew-jerk reactions to other commentators usually conclude with criticism of Filipinos.
This is not inspiring or educational.
/knee-jerk reactions…
https://listondonn.ph
As we re-examine People Power in a much deeper context and discuss the reality that if People Power led to the formation of fast-moving, prosperous, free-market economies and societies in other parts of the globe, how has it shown failings in our own country?
Some would blame it on our leaders, while others, on the people who vote for such leaders. Yet what many introspective souls would claim is the root of all cause in our so-called bad attitude of kanya-kanya or the talangka mentality. These two unpleasant and unproductive habits or traits, inseparable as they will always be, are best brought to us everyday, alive in the way we incessantly complain, finger-point and look for scapegoats at each other—at governmental, private, and corporate levels, need I say more?—at the height of any crisis, calamity or scandal. Then we procrastinate or resort to the bahala na syndrome until some miracle will come to restore order, or some act of karma will drastically awaken us to face the harsh reality of doing action and devise solutions to such crises.
Better yet, go to the Senate and you have a microcosm of our country at work at its worst. Observe our legislators how they debate endlessly over pressing issues without reaching definite conclusions. The result? Bills that do not get passed or rules that are junked out at sea simply because our lawmakers cannot agree among themselves to compromise for the good of all. Is it because they prioritize personal interests first before the urgent needs of the country?
Because of kanya-kanya, we are not able to instill a strong sense of solidarity, where we, despite our differing beliefs, are not able to find workable common denominators among ourselves and cannot learn to compromise for the benefit of all just to get things done. The more we take ourselves first, the more we end up as poor followers with a weak sense of responsibility to our fellows, the community, our country and the outside world in that order. Kanya-kanya also hinders the development of self-discipline which, in the long run, is meant to breed a collective culture of efficiency, order and system.
For many of us who have been exposed to more open, more contemporary concepts and ideas with the onset of globalization (especially the Generation- X of which yours is a proud member, the Generation-Y and the millennials) who regard parochialism that stems from the kanya-kanya syndrome as somewhat incorrect, I believe that it is high time for us to learn and adopt certain positive values from other nationalities that served as tools in forging their progressive, forward-thinking and dynamic spirits. More so if we, who make claims for being among Asia’s most cosmopolitan people, want to be respected members of the free, open-minded, law-abiding global village.
On an intellectual level, parochialism hinders us from enhancing our personality further as we attempt to free our mind and exert our experimental and creative efforts to elevate as well as empower the mentality and perception of our countrymen away from the status quo of the mediocre, shallow and hackneyed. This is so true of the ‘hanggang dito lang ang alam at kaya namin’ syndrome as evident in the way we refuse diversions of higher pursuits such as reading or surfing to broaden our knowledge or even engage in healthy discourses on issues that are happening on the global arena (and their impact among us Filipinos), but opting instead for undesirable pastimes like petty gossip, the pursuit for easy money and involving ourselves with the world of showbiz intrigues and other forms of escapism instead of devoting to more productive, nation- and people-building pursuits. It is high time for us to give support of that layer of Filipinos who have the inner depth, intellectual curiosity and innate capabilities who adhere to a benchmark of substance and quality to develop, nurture and mobilize the mindset of that critical mass that can serve as that tool to generate socio-economic, political, cultural and attitudinal reforms that, in the long run, will mold us to be more competitive and respected vis-à-vis the outside world.
I strongly agree when one of our respected economists not long ago stressed that the Filipinos of the free, global era can have a bit of Swiss diplomacy, the Teutonic regard for law and order, the punctiliousness of the British, the firmness of the Indians, the sagacity of the Chinese, the discipline of the Japanese and the determination of the Koreans, Taiwanese and Singaporeans. We must ask ourselves not just what it’s like to be free, but what our freedom is all about.
Let us also remember that People Power is not only limited to a particular clique or party; in as much as socio-political and economic shifts have drastically changed over the last three decades, the reality is, peoples’ mindsets DO change.
A very strong show of People Power that is attuned with today’s changing trends and rapid shifts was also shown by the ballot; this took place in 2016 when majority of Filipinos, fed up with the incompetence, insensitivity and inaction of the administration of Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III and the one he anointed to succeed him, Mar Roxas —voted for Rodrigo Roa Duterte as the Philippines’ new leader. The platform of the Mayor from Davao turned Chief Executive, vigorously campaigned for change in contrast to his predecessor whose daang matuwid turned out to be a bumpy ride. These changes—or more precisely reforms, in the socio-economic, political and diplomatic levels—no matter how controversial a number of these may be, have put the country back in track for a better, more promising future and have earned the respect of the majority of Filipinos.
The amusing irony of it all was that the Davaoeno leader’s predecessor was the scion of the woman in Yellow who ignited the first People Power revolution 35 years ago. But in the end, both mother and son failed to implement the much-needed reforms that the country drastically needed that would make it more competitive and vibrant on a socio-economic level, as well as assert its independence in foreign affairs without too much reliance on the beleaguered West and their questionable policies that deem ‘overly interventionist in domestic affairs.’
Not to be outdone, let us also remember that the masa who voted for Joseph Ejercito Estrada in 1998—but whose incumbency turned out to be a disaster after less than two years which prompted his resignation—were the very same ones who voted overwhelmingly for Duterte, because their mindests made them feel that he was the appropriate person who can lead the country.
And in 2025, despite the fact that PBBM became our President with many voting on his favour, there is also a very strong sense of disillusion among those who supported him on the ballot. A disillusion stemming from his lack of firmness in decision making and his gullibility by heeding the call and following directives from the wrong people within his administration. And what could this mean? Another upheaval of sorts, by the frustrated public?
An adage by a great author stressed that the ‘only thing changeless in this world is change.’ How very true. But let us remember, that if the legacy of People Power was to be effective, we do have that obligation, as responsible Filipinos to help generate those changes—or more precisely, reforms—to reverse those remnants of incompetence and poor leadership that had set the country backwards. We need more of action and initiative not only to support these reforms, but to make sure we do it collectively with a strong sense of pride and sincerity to help generate a very positive, productive and inspiring impact among our fellow Filipinos.
“A very strong show of People Power that is attuned with today’s changing trends and rapid shifts was also shown by the ballot; this took place in 2016 when majority of Filipinos … voted for Rodrigo Roa Duterte as the Philippines’ new leader.”
Your perception though is more of a myth or an impression than a fact. Yes, Duterte won the presidency, but, only by a percentage of 39.01% while the combined votes of the other candidates represented a total percentage of 60.99%.
So, historically, a ‘majority of Filipinos’ did not elect a ‘majority’ president in 2016. It did not happen as claimed.