by FRANZ ZOE STOELZL T. BAROÑA
AFTER TWO decades of subjugation, Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) has, at last, begged to differ on the 22nd of February, 1986.
“Ba’t ang daming tao ngayon?” nine-year-old Kurt pondered. Underneath the old moon, hundreds of pedestrians have begun to gather along Ortigas Avenue.
“Ang ingay nga, kuya,” Maya said.
Kurt, along with his younger sister Maya, sat on a bench positioned beside a platform where priests and clergywomen were delivering a vigil prayer in front of a crowd. At the edge of the seat, however, rested a nun who was unbothered by the clamor. Overhearing the two children’s curiosity, she eventually decided to approach them.
“Daming tao, ano?” the nun said, catching the little girl’s gaze.
“Bakit po ganun?” Kurt asked once more.
The nun tried to carve a smile across her face. “May kwento ako,” she said as she knelt beside them.
The two stared at her in awe. She knew they would understand it better if it was told in the manner of a children’s tale.
Silence followed and a crackling voice emerged from the radios that were scattered throughout the place; a declaration that would bring forth a historical revolution along EDSA:
“This is Cardinal Sin speaking to the people, especially in Metro Manila. I would only wish that violence and bloodshed be avoided.” F
