Lagman files bill seeking to declare People Power anniversary as regular holiday
Liberal Party President and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Monday, October 16 filed House Bill 9405 seeking to declare Feb. 25 as a regular non-working holiday.
This comes after the Malacañang released on Friday, October 13, Proclamation No. 368 which listed the regular holidays and non-working days for 2024. However, the enumeration did not include February 25 or the anniversary of the People Power Revolution, which has been a special non-working holiday through the past years.
The Office of the President then released a statement and said that they maintain respect for the commemoration of the EDSA People Power Revolution. As per the office, it was not included in the list of special non-working days for the year 2024 because February 25 falls on a Sunday.
"There is minimal socio-economic impact in declaring this day as a special non-working holiday since it coincides with the rest day for most workers and laborers," the statement said.
Under House Bill No. 9405, Lagman said that February 25 must be declared a holiday to “commemorate, institutionalize, and memorialize the popular ouster of President Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. as dictator of his martial law regime.”
Moreover, the bill stated an EDSA Commission composed of different agencies would be reconstituted to plan different activities to observe the historical event. This involved a P10 million annual budget that shall be appropriated in the General Appropriations Act and allocated to the EDSA Commission for its operations, together with private donations.
In addition, the said bill also honors the bravery of the victims and survivors of martial law while advancing the historical accuracy of human rights abuses recorded at that time.
“There must be a law institutionalizing the celebration as a regular national public non-working holiday of the EDSA People Power Revolution which started on 22 February 1986 and culminated on 25 February 1986 with the popular and peaceful ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. as dictator of his martial law regime,” Lagman said.
The veteran lawmaker also said that the country has marked Feb. 25 as a day of national celebration whether or not it falls on a Sunday.
“The more Marcos Jr. would sweep under the rug of historical perfidy the profligacy and oppression of his father’s dictatorship, the more unreachable reconciliation and justice will be,” Lagman added.
Lagman also urged President Marcos and his allies to support the enactment of his proposed law.
“We forgot that Filipinos are forgetful and sitting presidents would treat in varying degrees the celebration of the peaceful EDSA People Power Revolution. For this reason, albeit belatedly, there has to be a law memorializing the Filipino people's relentless crusade for freedom and democracy which culminated in the ouster of Marcos, Sr,” Lagman said.
“A son should not be punished for his father’s sins. But he is expected to admit and seek amends for his father’s transgressions in order to achieve reconciliation, unity, and justice,” he added.
The People Power Revolution has been referred to as a "special non-working day" by presidents over the years, but there is no law defining it as a "regular holiday."