The enduring significance of EDSA rests on a simple truth: public spaces belong to the people. They must remain open as platforms for public discourse—robust, uninhibited, and free from the chilling effect of threats of dispersal or prosecution under a statute born of martial rule. EDSA stands as the people’s forum when they demand accountability and seek the fulfillment of the promise of People Power.
NUPL | Feb 25, 2026
We therefore call on the people to treat this ruling as a mandate to insist on a press that can report and publish without fear of being taken down, and on a citizenry free to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas across all frontiers. A democracy worthy of the name rests on people who are able to think, speak, debate, and dissent—with journalists and communities prepared to resist censorship and repression whenever they appear, online or offline.
We call on the government and on all Filipinos to resist this renewed attempt to sanitize the legacy of tyranny. Honor is not conferred by burial rites; it is earned by service grounded in truth, justice, and respect for human dignity. Enrile’s record speaks for itself, and no decree, ceremony, or grave at the Libingan can rewrite it.
The recent statements from the DILG foreshadow more aggressive attempts to restrict public assembly ahead of the Baha sa Luneta 2.0 mobilization on November 30, where thousands are expected to gather once again to press for accountability. If the pattern holds, the State may again resort to brutality and violations of basic rights in an effort to suppress protected acts of discontent and dissent.