Religious groups join the thousands of protesters who marched to the EDSA Shrine along Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in the Philippines on February 24, 2024, in commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The protest called for the scrapping of any attempt to advance Constitutional amendments. Photo by Jire Carreon
Faith-based organizations have joined a mass march held in the Philippines on the 38th year of the uprising that toppled the Marcos Sr. dictatorship on Feb. 25.
The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) said it honors the commemoration of EDSA People Power by “protecting our sovereignty from tyrannical regimes” and fighting “any attempt to jeopardize our 1987 constitution, undermining people’s decision making, democracy, and liberty”.
The Protestant Council stressed the need to protect the foundational laws of the land “that restore and uphold the dignity of our people”.
“Our hard-fought victories over the years serve as a safeguard against further attempts to degrade, disrespect, or assault our freedom, echoing the painful lessons of past dictatorships that persist even in our current context,” it added.
Marcos Jr won the presidency in a landslide in 2022, nearly four decades after a “People Power” uprising ended his late father’s 20-year rule and chased the clan into exile in the United States.
Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Church, said the EDSA uprising was “a testament to the power of the people,” adding that it is “a reminder that collective action can overcome even the most daunting challenges”.
The 1987 Consitution was drafted and ratified after the 1986 mass uprising that ousted Marcos Sr. Critics warned that Marcos Jr’s effort to change the constitution could lead to the abolishment of term limits, with presidents currently allowed just one six-year stint in office.
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“The theme of this protest is to reject Marcos’s Charter change moves which is a move to remain (in) power… which is basically what happened 38 years ago,” said economist Rosario Guzman of IBON Fourndation.
Marcos Jr and his allies in Congress maintain they are primarily seeking to amend the charter’s economic provisions to allow more foreign investment, and ideally create more jobs.
Lawyer Howard Calleja, convenor of 1Sambayan, warned that the promise that it’s limited to economics “is not true”. He said once the government opens the constitution for amendments, “you cannot limit it to only economic provisions” because “all provisions are open”.
Rights groups say Marcos Sr’s regime jailed, tortured, or killed tens of thousands of critics, including religious leaders, journalists, and student activists, while corruption left the country impoverished.
Marcos Jr and his family returned to the Philippines after his father died in 1989, and began a remarkable political comeback.
His presidential victory was fuelled by a massive online misinformation campaign that portrayed his father’s time in office as a golden era.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Manila, Raymond Palatino of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance) said, “We remember the lessons from history. A Marcos dictator once tinkered with the constitution. And another Marcos is trying to monopolize power again by trying a charter change campaign.” – with reports from Agence France-Presse
All photos by Jire Carreon
Church groups join the thousands of protesters who marched to the EDSA Shrine along Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in the Philippines on February 24, 2024, in commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The protest called for the scrapping of any attempt to advance Constitutional amendments. Photo by Jire Carreon Church groups join the thousands of protesters who marched to the EDSA Shrine along Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in the Philippines on February 24, 2024, in commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The protest called for the scrapping of any attempt to advance Constitutional amendments. Photo by Jire Carreon Church groups join the thousands of protesters who marched to the EDSA Shrine along Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in the Philippines on February 24, 2024, in commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The protest called for the scrapping of any attempt to advance Constitutional amendments. Photo by Jire Carreon Church groups join the thousands of protesters who marched to the EDSA Shrine along Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in the Philippines on February 24, 2024, in commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The protest called for the scrapping of any attempt to advance Constitutional amendments. Photo by Jire Carreon Church groups join the thousands of protesters who marched to the EDSA Shrine along Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in the Philippines on February 24, 2024, in commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The protest called for the scrapping of any attempt to advance Constitutional amendments. Photo by Jire Carreon Church groups join the thousands of protesters who marched to the EDSA Shrine along Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in the Philippines on February 24, 2024, in commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The protest called for the scrapping of any attempt to advance Constitutional amendments. Photo by Jire Carreon Church groups join the thousands of protesters who marched to the EDSA Shrine along Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in the Philippines on February 24, 2024, in commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The protest called for the scrapping of any attempt to advance Constitutional amendments. Photo by Jire Carreon Church groups join the thousands of protesters who marched to the EDSA Shrine along Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in the Philippines on February 24, 2024, in commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The protest called for the scrapping of any attempt to advance Constitutional amendments. Photo by Jire Carreon Church groups join the thousands of protesters who marched to the EDSA Shrine along Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in the Philippines on February 24, 2024, in commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The protest called for the scrapping of any attempt to advance Constitutional amendments. Photo by Jire Carreon Church groups join the thousands of protesters who marched to the EDSA Shrine along Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in the Philippines on February 24, 2024, in commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The protest called for the scrapping of any attempt to advance Constitutional amendments. Photo by Jire Carreon Church groups join the thousands of protesters who marched to the EDSA Shrine along Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in the Philippines on February 24, 2024, in commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The protest called for the scrapping of any attempt to advance Constitutional amendments. Photo by Jire Carreon Benedictine Sister Mary John Mananzan addresses the crowd during the commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Uprising on Feb. 25. Photo by Jire Carreon
Church groups join the thousands of protesters who marched to the EDSA Shrine along Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in the Philippines on February 24, 2024, in commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The protest called for the scrapping of any attempt to advance Constitutional amendments. Photo by Jire Carreon
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