On the FM Burial: Divisiveness or Difference in Opinion Only? Is the EDSA Spirit Still Alive?

Even before the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the LNMB, Anti-Marcos groups were already quick in arriving at their pronouncement that it will cause divisiveness among Filipinos.

I initially thought of this too until I realized that divisiveness is too strong a word to use. Literally and figuratively, such word or description pushes those who are against the burial on one side, and those who approve of it on the other side, as if a huge and unclimbable wall had been created to separate them, and hence, divided.

I am now thinking of using the phrase “difference in opinion” rather than the term “divisiveness”.

Why am I saying so?

First, we are already in the post Edsa Revolution period, even way beyond it to put some amplification. A concrete testament to this was the good showing of Bongbong Marcos in the last electoral race for the second highest position in government. This shows that many of our kababayans have already moved on from two things of the past – the Marcos dictatorship and the Edsa Revolution.

Second, the number of protesters who trooped to Edsa after FM’s burial was very insignificant, and therefore not enough to cause a political stir and social upheaval. In other words, the protestation was not enough to provide us with a clear picture of the so called divisiveness that is being mentioned over and over again. Let me trivialize a bit: where were the usual Edsa personalities during such protest?

And thirdly, the Edsa magic or spark has waned over the years, for the reason that the promises it made remain undelivered. Our country did not get any better after the restoration of democracy in 1986 by former President Cory Aquino and her allies. And a proof for this is the still widening gap between the rich and the poor. Democracy was restored and we are all grateful. Unfortunately however, that was all there is to it.

The Edsa spirit sparked a bit in 2010 when Cory’s son ran for the presidency and eventually won. Sadly though, former President Noynoy Aquino was not able to sustain it, what with all his administration’s mishaps which threw dust to the “yellow color”, from the Luneta hostage crisis, to the PDAF or pork barrel scam, and finally to the Mamasapano massacre. Perhaps, such cases of ineptness drove people to change their political allegiance. This is not to mention Noynoy's penchant for playing the blame game in most of his speeches, wherein the names Marcos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would figure prominently.

These three reasons I believe have made most Filipinos to soften their hatred towards the Marcoses, in the sense that issues involving the family are no longer being treated with so much detestation and all such as the recent burial of FM.

Hence, the recent burial of Ferdinand Marcos at the LNMB has caused not divisiveness in my own estimate, but rather only difference in opinion among Filipinos. I define divisiveness by the way, as strong isolation of two opposing groups from each another. This is not how I see our current state of affairs, since difference in opinion cannot be equated to divisiveness straight away.

Let me clarify though, that this article is not meant to discount or disregard the sentiments of anti-Marcos groups especially those who have been victimized by Martial Law abuses, and neither to glorify the Marcos.

I am just trying to emphasize that a lot of things have already changed and happened since Martial Law and the Edsa Revolution.

Perhaps, it is time to move on, bringing with us invaluable lessons from the past.