Republic of the  Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH  CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
House  Bill  No.  9405
Introduced by Rep. Edcel C. Lagman
EXPLANATORY NOTE
There must be a  law institutionalizing the celebration as a  regular national
public  non-working  holiday  of the  EDSA  People  Power  Revolution  which  started
on  22  February  1986 and  culminated  on  25  February  1986 with the  popular and
peaceful  ouster of President  Ferdjnand  Marcos  Sr as  dictator of his  martial  law
regime.
The  law  will  (a)  perpetuate  the  commemoration  of the  Filipinos'  triumph
against the despotism and profligacy during the darkest era in  Philippine history;
(b)  memorialize  the  heroism  and  sufferings  of the  victims  and  survivors  of the
martial law period;  (c) promote historical truth and help guarantee non-repetition
of  massive  violations  of  human  rights;  and  (d)  forego  the  varying  degrees  of
celebrations decreed by Philippine sitting presidents to the extent of ambivalence
and  negation.
It   has   often   been   said   that   Filipinos   have   a   short   memory.   This   is
unsurprising since we as a country have failed to  institutionalize memorialization
compared  with  other  States.  Rwanda,  for  example,  commemorates  the  1994
genocide  100  days  a  year.  Argentina  held  a  five-year  trial  that  utilized  arenas
where  the  past  was  re-enacted,  serving  as  basis  for  legal  judgment.  In  East
Timor,  the final  report of the Timor-Leste  Commission  for Reception,  Truth  and
Reconciliation    documenting    human    rights    violations   from    1975-1999    was
published  in  a five-volume compilation,
The  Spanish  authorities  in   2019  exhumed  the  remains  of  the  dictator
Francjsco Franco from a colossal  mausoleum  in the Valley of the  Fallen  in  Madrid
and  reburied  in a  non-descript family graveyard,  next to his wife.
Memorialization  constitutes  the  intertwined   processes  of  preserving  the
collective   memories   of   a   people.    It   includes,   among   others,   ceremonies,
landmarks   or   memorial   sites,    museums,   artworks,    laws,    petitions,    public
addresses  or  speeches  commemorating  significant  events  in  the  struggle  for
freedom  and  democracy.  It  seeks  to  honor  or  pay  tribute  to  those  who  were
persecuted,  tortured,  disappeared,  incarcerated  or killed.  Memorialization  brings
the  current  generation  back  to  the  past  so  as  to  learn  from  its  lessons  and
challenges and  better understand the prevailing  problematic national situation.
Verily,  the  imperative  of  memorialization  cannot  be  overemphasized.  In
fact, an October 2020 report of the current United Nations Special Rapporteur on
the  promotion  of  truth,  justice,  reparation  and  guarantees  of  non-recurrence
focused on  memorialization processes as a fifth pillar of transitional I.ustice.
The enactment of this law is earnestly urged.


Republic of the  Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH  CONGRESS
Second  Regular Session
HouseBillNo.      9415
Introduced by: Rep. Edcel C. Lagman
AN ACT
DECLARING  FEBRUARY  25  0F  EVERY  YEAR  AS  A  REGULAR  NATIONAL
PUBLIC     NON-WORKING     HOLIDAY    IN     COMMEMORATION     OF    THE
CuLMINATION  OF  THE  PEACEFUL  EDSA  PEOPLE  POWER  REVOLUTION,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
SECTION i.  Culmination  Day  of the  Peaceful  EDSA  People  Power
Revo/uri-on.  -  February  25  of every year is  hereby declared  a  regular national
public non-working holiday to commemorate, institutionalize and memorialize the
popular ouster of President Ferdinand  E.  Marcos, Sr. as the dictator of his martial
law regime as the culmination of the peaceful  EDSA People Power Revolution.
SEC.  2,  EDSLA  Comm/.ss/.on.   The  EDSA Commission  created  pursuant to
Executive Order No.  82  (s.  1999)  is hereby reconstituted to plan and  implement
appropriate  nationwide  ceremonies  for  the  observance  of  February  25  as  the
culmination day of the peaceful  EDSA People Power Revolution.
As reconstituted, the EDSA Commission shall be composed of the following:
a.        The Executive secretary as chairperson;
b.         AS  Members,  the:
•    Secretary of the Department of Interior and  Local Government;
•    Secretary of the Department of Labor and  Employment;
•    Chairperson    of   the    National    Historical    Commission    of   the
Philippines  (NCHP);
•    Chairperson of the Commission on  Human  Rights;
•     Chairperson   of  the   Human   Rights  Violations  Victims'  Memorial
Commission;
•    Chairperson     of     the     Families     of    Victims     of     Involuntary
Disappearance (FIND),
•    Chairperson of the Task Force Detainees of the philippines (TFDP);
•     Chairperson of the  Philippine AIIiance of Human  Rights Advocates
(PAHRA);
•    One (1)  representative from the private sector;  and
•    One (1)  representative from the academe.
The   representatives   of  the   private   sector  and   the   academe   shall   be
appointed  by  a  majority  of the  Commission.  They  shall  be  known  advocates  of
the  promotion,  protection,  and fulfillment of human  rights and  of the  continuing
celebration of the peaceful  EDSA People Power Revolution.
The office of the Chairperson of the NHCP shall act as the secretariat of the
EDSA Commission.
SEC.   3.   Appropri`afi.ons.   The   amount   of  at   least   Ten   Million   Pesos
(Plo,000,000.00)  annually  shall  be  appropriated  in  the  General  Appropriations
EEEiiiii


Act (GAA) and allocated to the EDSA Commission for its operations, together with
private   donations.    Funds   accruing   to   and   expenses   made   by   the    EDSA
Commission  shall  be  subject to  the  usual  accounting  rules  and  procedures  and
audit by the Commission on Audit.
Pending   inclusion   in   the   GAA   of  the   appropriate   funds   for  the   EDSA
Commission,  its  operation  shall  be funded  from  the  savings of the  Office  of the
President and/or from the contingent fund under the control of the President.
SEC.   4.   Repea/i'ng   C/arse.   All   laws,   presidential   decrees,   orders,
issuances,   rules  and   regulations  and   any   part  thereof  inconsistent  with  the
provisions of this Act are hereby amended or modified accordingly.
SEC.  5.   Separab/-//-ty C/arse.  -  If any part, section,  or provision of this
Act is held  invalid or unconstitutional,  other provisions not affected thereby shall
remain  in full force and effect.
SEC.  6.  Effecfivi-ty.   This  Act shall  take  effect fifteen  (15)  days  after its
publication  in at least two (2)  newspapers of general circulation.
Ap proved,                              €