University students and activists from different generations converge at the People Power monument along Edsa, on Nov. 30, 2016, to sing the same hits even as they protest the burial of dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. (PHOTO BY JILSON SECKLER TIU/ INQUIRER)
Students of the Ateneo de Manila University, the University of the Philippines and De La Salle University set aside their rivalry in college basketball on Wednesday to unite against the sneaky burial of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
One by one, leaders of the so-called 鈥淏ig Four鈥� schools, except the University of Santo Tomas, spoke before thousands of anti-Marcos protesters, majority of whom were millennials, at the People Power Monument in Quezon City.
Before giving a message, Ateneo President Fr. Jett Villarin, S.J., sang the Ateneo chant 鈥淥ne Big Fight!鈥� along with the crowd.
UP students and alumni in the rally also chanted 鈥淯nibersidad ng Pilipinas!鈥� when Chancellor Michael Tan took the stage.
The chancellor thanked the students for attending the rally while the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the FEU Tamaraws are competing in a UAAP basketball match.
鈥淏ihirang nagkikita kaming tatlong eskwelahan na Ateneo, La Salle and UP. So nagpapasalamat ako na dumating kayo dahil alam ko may game ngayon. But we have put aside UAAP and basketball kasi mas mahalaga 鈥榶ung event natin ngayong hapon,鈥� he said.
(鈥淚t鈥檚 rare for the the three schools 鈥� Ateneo, La Salle, and UP 鈥� to get together. So I thank you for coming here, knowing that there鈥檚 a game now. But we have to put aside UAAP and basketball because our event this afternoon is more important.鈥�)
Tan said that, although he did not fully support the exhumation of Marcos鈥檚 remains at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, he encouraged UP members to 鈥渄ig the truth up.鈥�
鈥淒apat hukayin ang katotohanan. Kayo ang sususlat dito,鈥� he said.
(鈥淵ou should dig up the truth. It鈥檚 you who will write it.鈥�)
鈥淭he millennials will write the history and it would be a history that would include this afternoon鈥檚 event,鈥� he added.
De La Salle Philippines President Bro. Jose Mari Jimenez, meanwhile, criticized the 鈥淐hange is Coming鈥� campaign slogan of President Rodrigo Duterte, saying change for the entire nation should not depend on the decision of one person only.
鈥淪inasabihan tayo noon that 鈥楥hange is coming.鈥� Kung totoong change is coming, ang totoong pagbabago ay hindi manggagaling sa iisang tao lang,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ag po nating payagan na iisang tao lang ang magsasabi kung anong mabuti sa atin. Ang totoong pagbabago manggagaling sa ating lahat.鈥�
(鈥淲e were told then that 鈥楥hange is coming.鈥� If it鈥檚 true that change is coming, then true change will not come from just one person.鈥�) /atm