Duterte hallucinates that the people have forgotten the spirit and sacrifices of Edsa I (1986) that restored democracy and freedom in the Philippines. (It was through Edsa 1996 that Duterte tasted the opportunity to attain political power in Davao City. He has entrenched his dynasty there for almost thirty years now).
Decades from now, Duterte will only be a small footnote in Philippine history. But the history of Edsa 1986, which restored the dignity of the Filipinos in the eyes of the whole world, will forever be remembered in world history books, more particularly:
* how the death of one man (Ninoy Aquino) could unseat a brutal and corrupt tyrant and his family and cronies,
* how a modest housewife (Cory Aquino) could mobilize the sincerest support of the world to restore Philippine democracy despite the political and economic cancers that Marcos had inflicted on the country, and
* how a son of a martyr (Noynoy Aquino) could transform the global image of the Philippines from the "sick man of Asia" to a "tiger economy" by good governance, accountability, prudent economic management, and courageous and wise foreign policy (e.g., Unclos arbitral ruling against the bully China to assert our exclusive economic zone [EEZ] rights).
Any attempt by Duterte, the Marcoses, and other government officials, who are now drowning in fear and opportunism, to revise the historical truths of our country will be in vain.
- Atty. Manuel J. Laserna Jr.
Laserna Cueva-Mercader Law Offices
Las Pinas City
