MANILA, Philippines — The spirit of the 1986 EDSA people power revolution has been lost as corruption did not just persist but got worse, presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao said yesterday.
Pacquiao expressed sadness that 36 years after the historic revolution that toppled the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, millions of Filipinos remain in servitude and severe poverty.
“The 1986 EDSA revolution removed a dictator because of corruption that caused poverty. But after 36 years, the number of poor people increased because nothing changed in government,” Pacquiao said in Filipino.
To restore the spirit of EDSA, Pacquiao said he would lead a revolution against corruption where corrupt officials are jailed and punished without prejudice.
“Let’s jail the corrupt without pardon,” he said.
If elected president, Pacquiao vowed to strictly enforce the country’s laws wherein the corrupt are jailed for the rest of their lives.
Pacquiao urged people to join him in his crusade so the country will experience genuine reforms as promised by the bloodless uprising.