Speech

People Power Anniversary Celebration at Araneta Coliseum

Maraming salamat. Sa sobrang init na dinaramdam ninyo, ayan, umapoy na bigla ang ating confetti. Palakapan ninyo ngayon ang sarili ninyo!

Mga kababayan, nandito tayo ngayon—di malayo sa kung saan milyung-milyun ng ating mga kababayan ay nagtipon para manindigan laban sa pang-aapi; para harapang hamunin ang diktaturya: “gawin na ninyo ang gagawin ninyo, pero hindi kami aatras sa inyo!”

“Give us back our freedom! Give us back our dignity as free men, and leave us to make the best we can of our country!”

Nandito tayo ngayon, naka dilaw: kulay ng tapang at pag-asa. Kulay ni Tita Cory. Palakpakan ninyo ang EDSA!

Nandito tayo ngayon, handang tapusin ang minsang sinimulan ng EDSA.

Malaya na tayo ngayon. Ngayon, gagawin natin ang tunay na dapat gawin para ang mamamayang Pilipino ang siyang manaig dito sa ating sariling bansa. Ito ay para sa inyo at sa ating lahat: mahirap at may-kaya, bata at matanda, ang OFW at ang na-iwan niyang pamilya rito.

This is our country and we will get it back.

Every generation has its EDSA, just as every pasyon and Calvary has its Easter Redemption. In our grandparents’ time, our countrymen, in the millions, gathered in smaller groups to fight the Japanese invader. It took lots of courage. They faced much bigger risks. But their spirit and their sacrifice laid the groundwork for our country’s liberation.

In our parents’ time, our countrymen tried to build a progressive nation, raising it up from the wreckage of war to the heights of progress. The Philippines—our beloved country—was better off than all our neighbours combined.

Muntik na silang magtagumpay. Ngunit parang kandilang hinipan at namatay, ang mga pangarap nila’y nag-laho nung nagka Martial Law.  Naging baril at dahas ang sukatan ng tama at mali.

Both our parents and we, our generation, jointly had its own EDSA.

Oh, it was something out of legend. With a cast of millions, our country played out a drama never seen in history – a battle between good and evil; giving and taking; between guns, goons and gold on the one hand, and plain guts on the other.

Hindi na kailangang ilista ang mga nangyari. Nakaukit na ito sa alaala ng ating lahi.

Hindi na kailangang idetalye ang kabayanihan ng mga nagtipon upang humarang sa tangke at harapin ang pang-aapi. No need to recall the countless, selfless deeds, big and small, of so many unknown, ordinary people who together achieved the extraordinary!

Together, we declared and we made happen the words first uttered by Moses to Pharoah, and Cory to Marcos: LET MY PEOPLE GO!!!

Ngayon, nandito tayo sa EDSA natin at ng ating mga anak. Ngayon, nandito tayo, upang sabihin sa mga desperadong maluklok sa puwesto; sa mga nagpupumilit na manahin ang trono para sa sarili nilang interes: Tama na! Sobra na! Hindi kami papayak! Lalaban kami!

Huwag laging kayo na lang: pagbigyan niyo naman ang tao.

Hindi natin ipinaglalaban na tayo naman. Ang ipinaglalaban natin: ang TAO naman. Let every Filipino taste the Filipino dream: Harinawa’y matikman ng bawat isa sa atin ang inaasam na pangarap ng bawat Pilipino.

Eto ang eksena sa aking isipan: sa loob ng isang bahay na gawa sa materiales Fuertes, si tatay, kakauwi lang galing sa trabaho. Si kuya at si ate, naka-uniporme, galing sa eskwela. Si lola/ masiglang nilalaro si baby. Buong pamilya, magkasama, masayang magkasalo sa mesang sagana sa pagkain, at sa tahanang puno ng pag-asa.

Basic to this is a government that is really of the people, by the people; and NOT for the cronies of the people in power. To them, we say: “give our country a chance, to be all that it can be, all that it was, and all it deserves to be – prosperous, proud and truly free.

Some people think they have the right to take power and run this country to the ground. Well, there is no such right. The only right is the right of the Filipino-people to a better life.

May mga gustong ituloy ang kanilang ligaya, ang ligayang naggagapos sa atin sa kahirapan. Ang sigaw natin : Hindi kami papayag! LALABAN KAMI!!!

Ito ang ating pagkakataon. Ito ang pagkakataon ng ating henerasyon.

Hindi ito magiging madali. Hindi ito i-aabot sa atin. Kailangan nating ipaglaban ito. Ngayon ang simula ng ating EDSA. Ang EDSA ng ating henerasyon.

Iilang tulog na lang, maitatama na natin ang mali. Ma-i-tuituwid na natin ang baluktot, Mailalagay na natin sa ayos ang ating landas. It is time. It is our time. Our time to make a difference. It is our time to show what we are made of, to SHOW what being a Filipino is all about.

It is our time to prove: WE ARE WORTH DYING FOR.

May 10 is more than an election. It is our Revolution. Ito ang Rebolusyun natin: para sa totoong kalayaan, sa totoong katarungan, sa totoong kaunlaran.

It is our People Power Revolution for everything that our great country can be. Ito ang ating People Power para sa kadakilaan na karapat-dapat-lang para sa ating lahi.

Mga minamahal na kababayan, lalaban po tayo! Maraming salamat, magandang hapon, mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino.

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  • Josephine Acosta Pasricha

    Hi, Philippines
    Greetings on another snowstorm that makes us dream of Spring colors — yellow and blue!
    I hope you have the time to read and master “The Leader's Guide to Storytelling, Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative” by Stephen Denning (San Francisco: Josse-Bass, John Wiley and Sons, 2005. He can also be read in his website. You can google search.
    Denning teaches us how to tame the grapevine and use satire to kill a rumour, use self deprecatory humor to counter bad image or bad news and criticism. He shows us examples from Bill Clinton and Nancy Reagan.
    Noy and Mar, you are in the right path. May the Almighty God pour down His blessings upon you — double your portion!

    Mabuhay, Philippines
    Josephine

  • marcialboni

    According to COMELEC: more than 50 million have registered to vote for the 2010 elections.

    Just today PPCRV volunteers found out that in Davao there are 40K double, multiple or dead registrants http://www.gmanews.tv/story/185053/ppcrv-40k-do… . This is not so surprising to me knowing the credibility record of COMELEC. Who knows, perhaps several millions in the 50 million registrants are actually double/non-existing registrants meant for massive cheating come May10.

    In the link http://www.scribd.com/doc/14276173/Profile-of-P
    the NSO projected that in 2004, the number of Filipinos in the voting age (18 and over) was 49.25 million (population then was projected at 82.67 million). Now let's do the math. By ratio and proportion, if we suppose that the population is now 92 million, the number of Pinoys in the voting age is now 55 million. 50+ million are registered according to COMELEC's record…it seems they have “successully done their job” in making 9 of 10 eligible Filipino voter be registered. (emphasis on ” ” as it could indeed be a job well for done for someone) CAN'T WE ASK PULSE ASIA OR SWS TO CONFIRM THIS THROUGH A SURVEY???

  • marcialboni

    http://www.gmanews.tv/story/185124/voters-list-...

    COMELEC no credibility:
    1. Allowing ERAP and GMA to run
    2. Allowing Acosta (KBL strandard bearer) to run eventhough he is NOT A REGISTERED VOTER
    3. Still allowing VILLAR to run eventhough he is guilty of vote buying. Passing the blame to us that we are not filing a complaint. I bet they saw the evidence on TV themselves, so why not one of them file the complaint if they claim that they are “public servants”
    4. Allowing government-funded (at expense of taxpayers’ money) partylists to run in 2010
    5. In the news link above, Kontra Daya got an info from a former Comelec commisioner, that “cleansing” of voters’ list failed…so millions of the 50+ million registered voter as proudly announced by Comelec is surely for massive fraud or worse FAILURE of Elections…as I mentioned earlier 50million registrants is 90% of Pinoys that are of voting-age…an unbelievable number (i dont think any sane person will believe that Comelec did a good job during the voter’s registration period).

  • nandingocampo

    All politicians are all the same when they are campaining they say many nice words to the people & sometimes they are buying voting to the people who are poor. Hopefully the LP candidates they may wake up if they may win the election 2010.The worst thing in the country is to avoid GRAFT& CORRUPTION from PRES. TO LOCAL GOVT.OFFICIALS IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY.That is the very worst thing in the PHILS.If the LP wins may create jobs &invite FOREIGN INVESTORS in the country?Noy&Mar YOU CAN DO IT!!! I!am a LP fans sinds 70!s when i!am still in the phils.I follow the news with INTERNET.Greetings from the land of many tulips,& water canals from HOLLAND.May the God bless all the LP candidates!!!!!

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