The world-acclaimed bloodless EDSA Revolution of 1986 in the Philippines, also dubbed as “People Power,” set a precedent for other nations to mount similar civil movements to protest existing government corruption and to establish a new rule. [See: https://origins.osu.edu/milestones/people-power-revolution-philippines-1986?language_entity=en.]
In recent weeks, a very vocal group of supporters of the colorful former Philippine president Rodrigo “Digong” Roa-Duterte and his daughter, current Philippine vice president Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio (fondly called “Inday Sara”) staged a “prayer rally” at the “Liwasang Bonifacio,” Plaza Bonifacio or “Freedom Park” in Manila (named after the 1898 revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio) beginning in early March this year and continuing for over a week.
The rally was in protest against certain high public officials and personalities for their alleged unlawful actions, for which they have not been brought to court or for accounting. These citizens, many of whom came all the way from Mindanao, have – as it were – instead taken the law in their own hands. [Search Google for “ Duterte-led Prayer Rally at Bonifacio Freedom Park” and click on the link that works; sorry, the original link that was forwarded to me has been removed. ]
There are several parallels of this protest with the 1986 EDSA Revolution. In fact, this rally seems to foment an EDSA IV!
- The 1986 EDSA Revolution was a protest against perceived abuse of Marcos’ dictatorial powers that executed many of his opponents, and rigging the results of the 1985 “snap” presidential election, where he, reelectionist Ferdinand “Apo Ferdie” E. Marcos, Sr., was declared winner over his rival, the widow of the late controversial senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco-Aquino. Concerned citizens initiated a recount of the presidential ballots, where the result showed Cory Aquino as the winner instead. Thus, Aquino supporters marched to Metro Manila’s largest and longest thoroughfare, EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue) to declare support for Cory as the rightful president-elect. Upon the urging of then U.S. president Ronald Reagan, Marcos Sr. abdicated his presidency and was flown to Hawaii for his exile until his death there.
The recent “prayer rally” against the “Apo’s” son “Bongbong”Marcos, Jr. asserts that he did not really win the 2019 presidential election over his opponent, the widow of noted Bicol mayor Jesse Robredo, “Leni” Robredo. A very angry former director of the national Commission on Elections (COMELEC), a Ms. Cam, claimed personal knowledge that Marcos Jr.’s wife, Liza Araneta-Marcos, had collaborated with the current COMELEC chairman to select the alleged ballot-rigger Smartmatic company as the official digital ballot counter, which showed Bongbong with 20+ million votes winning over rival Leni. The alleged authentic count of vice presidential candidate Sara “Inday” Duterte-Carpio was at 30+ million votes.
Leni Robredo has chosen not to protest the presidential vote results and has since exited the top political scene to devote herself to her community development projects. This is quite unlike what the supporters of Cory Aquino did to protest the result of the 1985 presidential election, which showed Marcos Sr. as winner. This led to the “People Power” Revolution at EDSA, which installed Cory Aquino as president.
“Inday Sara’s” supporters assert that, if Robredo had truly won the presidential race but has relinquished the post, then as vice president Sara Duterte should be declared the rightful successor, leaving Marcos. Jr. out of the picture as the “pretender!”
2. The Roman Catholic Jaime Cardinal Sin was the “spirit” that urged multiple thousands of citizens to join the mass of people on EDSA to protect the national military forces that had flipped loyalty from Marcos, Sr. to Cory Aquino. In this 2024 rally, the founder of the sect “Kingdom of Jesus Christ” (KOJC) and self-proclaimed appointed “Son of God,” Apollo Carreon- Quiboloy, is a major reason for the “prayer rally.” Former president Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte, a close friend of Quiboloy, who backed his presidential candidacy with his followers’ million-plus votes, believes that Quiboloy is not guilty of the alleged moral offenses and illegal operations (money laundering, sexual abuse, human trafficking, drug-pushing) thrown at him.
3. The 1986 EDSA Revolution is claimed as a “bloodless” revolution. The Dutertes and Quiboloy have urged the crowd at the Bonifacio “Freedom Park” to remain peaceful and avoid physical violence, although verbal “violence” has been the rule here!
The Christian attitude towards those in authority
The Holy Bible, God’s Word, is quite plain and straightforward in its charge for Christians to submit themselves to those who are in seats of authority. 1 Peter 2:13-17 says:
Therefore, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men – as free, yet not using your liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Honor the king.
Romans 13:1-7 reinforces this:
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. Buit if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore, you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
Even in the Old Testament (Daniel 4:25) God had declared: “…that you may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, And gives it to whomever He chooses.” In the end, whether rulers occupy their seats legally or illegally, God allows it, but He is still in full control and has the ultimate rule.
The example of Daniel’s three friends
In Daniel 3:1-30 we have a marvelous example of the Godly response to unfair or unreasonable treatment by a ruler. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had made a huge golden image and required everyone in his kingdom to bow down and worship that image when the signal to do so was sounded. Of course, these Jewish lads knew about and kept God’s first two commandments to have no other gods than the true God and to not worship carved images (Exodus 20:1-6).
They calmly and respectfully refused to comply with the king’s decree, and were willing to suffer the consequence. God miraculously intervened by sending His angel to protect the lads from being in the least harmed by the intense fire of the king’s “oven.” Their resolute faith in and obedience to God has been a great inspiration to many Christians to remain faithful to God despite persecution and even execution for obeying God instead of man.
Christ’s example of submission to authority
Even as the “King of kings and Lord of lords” that He was, Jesus Christ submitted Himself to the civil authorities of His day. He followed His own charge to His disciples: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you” (Luke 6:27-28). “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. That you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends His rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:44-45).
The Duterte rallyists who noisily condemned some officials with hateful accusations were indeed not following this divine charge! Neither, Paul’s charge to emulate Christ’s example of humility (Philippians 2:3, 5-8):
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself…Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
The pro-Duterte rallyists should, instead, leave the judging of the officials they condemn to the proper courts of the land. They might protest, “But our courts are manned by “unjust judges” (Luke 18:1-6). Despite this, however, the courts of the land are a more orderly way to settle disputes than noisily taking judgment to the streets.
The ultimate Judge
In the end each and every one of us will have to face a day of reckoning. God has given all judgment to His Son Jesus Christ (John 5:22, 27). He will judge each of us according to our works, whether good or evil (Verses 28-29; see also Revelation 20:12; Romans 14:10; 2:5-10). Not only will we be judged according to our works, but according to every word we say (Matthew 12:36): “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they shall give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Jesus twice said: “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5).
Let’s every one of us repent of our evil deeds and words so we won’t perish but be saved in God’s soon-coming everlasting kingdom!
Pedro R. Meléndez, Jr.
09072024/20072024