Edsa@40: Marcos spends day in meetings, critics seek reforms, resignation

AS protesters marched to Edsa to commemorate 40th Anniversary the of the People Power Revolution on Wednesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spent the day in Malacañang attending private meetings.

- Samuel P. Medenilla, Manuel T. Cayon & Carmel Pedroza

Marcos did not attend any public event related to the People Power Revolution—the nonviolent mass movement in 1986 which ended the dictatorial rule of the chief executive's father, President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.

Instead, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos held four meetings in Malacañang Among the groups which met with Marcos was the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

The chief executive's apparent attempt to play the event also extended to his decision not to immediately release any statement for the People Power Revolution Anniversary.

"Maybe I'll give you an update on that later, but we don't have any information about that yet," Castro said when asked if Marcos will issue a statement on the anniversary.

The Palace usually issues the President's statement on important holidays on the morning of such events.

Marcos also drew criticism from some lawmakers when he decided to declare Edsa People Power Revolution Anniversary simply a special working holiday. Critics claimed this diminished the importance of Edsa.

The event was usually declared a special non-working holiday in past years.

In the first year of his Presidency in 2023, Marcos initially continued the tradition before breaking it in 2024 by declaring it a working holiday.

The event has since then remained a special working holiday.

To address the issue, Akbayan Party-list lawmakers and Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao has filed House Bill 7911 seeking to declare every February 25 as a national holiday to mark the anniversary of the People Power Revolution.

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