Duterte's absence in People Power commemoration not an attempt to diminish the event: Roque
President Rodrigo Duterte's skipping for the second consecutive years the commemoration of the Edsa People Power Revolution was not an attempt to diminish the event, Malacanang said on Monday.
In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said even if Duterte did not attend the flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies at the People Power Monument in Quezon City, February 25 was still declared as a national holiday.
"It is a public holiday, and public funds are being spent to commemorate it. So I don’t think there should be any reason to deviate from the fact that by law and by practice, we celebrate EDSA because it was a historical event in our country," he said.
Roque also said it was not unusual for a president to skip the commemoration activities.
Asked if there was an attempt to diminish the significance of the bloodless revolution 32 years ago, Roque said, "There’s none. It remains in our statute books. As in fact, the ceremonies are being, well, spearheaded by the National Historical Commission no less."
Roque also denied that there was a move to revise history.
"I do not know what historical revisionism you’re talking about. But if you are talking about Edsa, it’s no less than the National Historical Commission that’s responsible for the annual commemoration," he added.
Through the peaceful uprising, dictator Ferdinand Marcos was ousted and Corazon Aquino was catapulted to power.
Roque also dismissed the online poll by Presidential Communications Operations Assistant Secretary Margaux "Mocha" Uson regarding the Edsa revolution.
"Well, according to the law, it is not fake news. According to the law, we honor the Edsa revolution having declared it as a public holiday. And of course as I said earlier, we even have appropriate funds to commemorate the event. So we still recognize and we will always recognize Edsa not only as an important historical event, but it was the first bloodless people power revolution in the whole entire planet earth; and it remains significant," he said.
Uson, in her Facebook account, asked her followers on Sunday if they believe that Edsa revolution was a product of fake news. Eighty-four percent of respondents said yes, while 16 percent said no. Celerina Monte/DMS
