AS THE 40th anniversary of the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution approaches, Senator Bam Aquino is urging Filipinos, especially the youth, to see the historic uprising not as a completed chapter, but as an “unfinished revolution” that demands continued action against corruption and injustice.
Speaking ahead of the commemoration, Aquino reflected on the enduring lessons of Edsa, stressing that many of the reforms Filipinos fought for in 1986 remain unrealized.
He challenged the next generation to carry forward the movement’s original promise.
“A lot of the things we fought for have not yet been achieved. So rather than thinking of it as a failed revolution, I think about it as an unfinished revolution… It is not yet over, and it still needs to be completed,” Aquino said, emphasizing that today’s youth may be the ones to finally complete what earlier generations began.
Re-angling the anniversary from mere remembrance to renewed responsibility, Aquino underscored the vital role young people and the media played during the uprising, roles he believes remain critical in an era marked by digital misinformation and historical revisionism.
He recalled how the underground station Radyo Bandido became the voice of the people after Radio Veritas was silenced, noting that teenagers helped operate the station alongside broadcaster June Keithley and members of Fr. James Reuter’s theater group.
“Those 24 to 48 hours that Radyo Bandido was on air were so crucial… It was teenagers who were running the radio station,” he said, highlighting how ordinary citizens, not politicians, sustained the movement.
Aquino emphasized that the spirit of People Power was rooted in unity and selflessness, values he warned must not fade from public memory.
“There was a time when the people united and found courage… We fought for something for our country more than our individual selves… We cannot let that go,” he said.
As part of the 40th anniversary observance, a kickoff event titled “People Power 40 sa QC Kickoff Concert: Awit at Aksyon Kontra Korapsyon” will be held on February 21 at Quezon Memorial Circle.
Additional commemorative activities are also scheduled across the Visayas and Mindanao.
By reframing Edsa as an ongoing mission rather than a concluded victory, Aquino hopes the milestone anniversary will inspire Filipinos to confront modern forms of corruption and disinformation continuing what he describes as a peaceful revolution still in progress. (ABC)