House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Edgar “Egay” Erice on Wednesday, February 25 marked the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution with a call for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte to step down, invoking what he said was a crisis of leadership and accountability.
Addressing Marcos and Duterte directly, Erice said their promise of unity and progress has not been realized, and instead accused the government of constant infighting and corruption.
“Nanawagan ako kay Pres. Marcos at VP Sara: nangako kayo ng pagkakaisa at pag-unlad, ngunit ngayon ay tila walang katapusang unli-away at walang humpay na unli-nakaw ang umiiral sa inyong pamahalaan. Hindi ba higit na mabuti kung magbitiw na kayong dalawa upang matahimik ang bayan?” Erice said.
“Iyan ay kung may natitira pa kayong hiya at awa sa mamamayan,” he added.
Erice recalled that he was present at EDSA in both 1986 and 2001, when mass movements led to the ouster of two presidents accused of corruption. He said those moments were defined by unity and moral clarity among protesters.
“Nasa EDSA ako noong 1986, at nasa EDSA rin ako noong 2001, nakikipaglaban laban sa mga pangulong korap—sama-samang nagkakaisa, may galak sa puso dahil alam naming tama ang aming pagkilos,” Erice said.
This year’s commemoration, however, carried a different tone for the lawmaker, who described feeling deep disappointment amid what he sees as continued public suffering and political division.
“Ngayon, narito muli ako sa EDSA, subalit basag ang aking puso. Nasa EDSA na nga, watak pa rin—iba-iba ang dahilan, gayong alam naman natin na ang tunay na pinagmumulan ng paghihirap ay ang administrasyong Marcos na tila hindi natuto at hindi nabusog sa pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan. Nililito, nililinlang, at pinagsasamantalahan ang mamamayang ni wala nang panahong umaray sa pagdarahop at kahirapan,” he said.
Despite his criticism of the administration, Erice said he remains hopeful that the country will eventually find a way out of its current predicament.
“Nananatili ang aking pananalig na gagabayan tayo kung paano bibigyang-wakas ang kumunoy na kinakasadlakan ng ating bayan sa kasalukuyan,” he said.
