OVP says deleted EDSA anniversary statement was posted mistakenly

MANILA, Philippines — The office of Vice President Sara Duterte said they mistakenly uploaded a statement urging the public to “uphold” the spirit of the EDSA People Power uprising, which it had deleted hours after it was posted on Sunday.

The OVP on Monday confirmed to reporters that it had taken down a message by Duterte on the 38th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution that was mistakenly posted by their social media team. They also asked reporters not to be quoted on the official reason why. 

No explanation for the takedown has been posted on the OVP’s social media pages.

The now-deleted statement said: “As we celebrate this momentous occasion, let us remember the lessons of EDSA – the power of unity, the strength of the Filipino spirit, and the importance of standing up for what is right.”

The posting and subsequent removal of the OVP’s statement honoring “the brave souls who stood united on the streets of EDSA, fighting for democracy and freedom” triggered a few hyperpartisan vloggers to use this as content speculating deepening rifts between the vice president and President Marcos Jr. 

Some content creators pounced both on the contents of the OVP’s statement and its removal to fuel speculation that Duterte had been hinting at openly antagonizing the Marcoses.

Duterte said that her relationship with the president is “okay” and that they “had no problem with each other” in an interview with reporters on February 12. 

On Sunday, human rights groups and members of civil society commemorated the 38th anniversary of the series of mass demonstrations that unseated the late dictator and former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. 

The Malacañang excluded the EDSA People Power Revolution anniversary from the list of holidays in 2024.

Had the OVP not removed the statement, it would have been the first time that Duterte issued a statement commemorating the EDSA People Power — widely regarded as a turning point in the Philippines’ political history and the trigger for similar democratic movements in the world.

Kabataan Partylist (KPL) said that the EDSA uprising should not be used as “ammo” by the Marcos and Duterte political camps.

“The only reason Sara