Youth groups led by YOUTH ACT NOW held various protest activities during the 29th anniversary of the EDSA People Power on Wednesday to call for President Benigno Aquino III’s resignation.
At around 12 noon, the groups unfurled a banner saying “Game Over Noynoy” at a footbridge fronting the EDSA Shrine in Ortigas. The youth groups also tied “bloodied” yellow ribbons along the railings of EDSA Shrine, signifying their outrage over Aquino’s continued attempt to deflect accountability for the botched Mamasapano operation.
By 3 p.m., the youth groups marched to Camp Crame and joined various sectors in forming a “human chain for justice and accountability.”
“There is nothing more ironic than President Aquino heading the commemoration of the People Power anniversary. Mr. President, the essence of People Power is not hereditary. Not just because you’re an Aquino, you can already claim People Power as your clan’s heritage. The essence of People Power lies in the collective strength of the Filipino people to resist an anti-people regime,” YOUTH ACT NOW Spokesman Mico Pangalangan said.
“The legacy of People Power should not be relegated to the dust bins of history, and treated as an annual affair of yellowtards and Aquino fanatics. People Power is alive today, and its target is no other than Mr. Aquino, who is subverting the very spirit of EDSA 1 to legitimate his desperate hold on government” Pangalangan added.
The youth leader called on the Filipino youth to lead the nation in mounting a “new People Power” to remove Aquino.
“We’ve had enough of the lies, the cover-ups, and the incompetence. It is clear that Aquino, with the direct ministration of the US, masterminded the bloody Mamasapano operation. It is now also clear that a cover-up campaign is being undertaken to save Aquino from accountability. Yet the youth should see through all the lies and join in fomenting a new movement that will unseat the president,” he said.
“Let this day mark the beginning of Aquino’s last days in power. Let a new People Power spring out. Let us take back the power from the clutches of this corrupt, incompetent, and murderous government and install a transitory government that will instigate much needed social change,” Pangalangan said.
On Friday, February 27, youth groups will again stage a massive walkout protest to call for Aquino’s resignation.###
YOUTH ACT NOW 