The August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM) has called on the public to embrace the legacy of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution as the country marks its 40th anniversary this Wednesday, February 25.
ATOM, founded by Butz Aquino—the younger brother of the late Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.—traces its roots to the first calls for Filipinos to gather at EDSA, which led to the peaceful People Power Revolution that ousted the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
In a press briefing, ATOM president Voltaire Bohol highlighted that many young people today post on social media about how “hard it is to love the Philippines,” forgetting that in 1986, the country was admired worldwide for the triumph of People Power.
Bohol also stressed that for the nation to truly move forward, those behind the so-called “conjugal dictatorship” during Marcos Sr.’s term must be held accountable.
He warned that without closure and genuine accountability for the original crimes committed under the dictatorship, the country risks experiencing another authoritarian rule every decade.
