FEBRUARY 12, 2026 — Forty years since the people power revolt toppled a dictator, the streets of EDSA are once again set to be filled with voices demanding accountability. On February 25, the Third Trillion Peso March will unfold, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the EDSA revolution. This isn’t just nostalgia, but a reminder that corruption and political dynasties remain stubborn fixtures in our national life.

Caritas Philippines executive director Fr. Carmelo Caluag and Buhay Ang People Power campaign convenor Kiko Aquino Dee are leading the charge, rallying under the theme: “Tayo ang People Power Laban sa Korupsyon at Dinastiya! Noon. Ngayon. Bukas.” 

Dee didn’t hold back when he said, “We will discuss the struggle against the dictator (former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.) and compare the corruption in the past and the corruption happening today, and we will see that it is sad that 40 years later, we still feel the same pain.”

That sting of déjà vu is hard to ignore. Despite decades of promises, corruption scandals keep surfacing, dynasties keep tightening their grip, and we, the Filipino people, keep paying the price. 

The organizers are not just marching for symbolism — they’re pressing for concrete reforms, including the long-delayed Anti-Political Dynasty Law. Interestingly, President Marcos himself has listed it among his administration’s 21 priority bills. Dee believes this move only happened because the government is facing a crisis, a sign that public pressure is working.

The demands don’t stop there. The march will call for justice in the flood control scandal, recovery of stolen wealth, accountability for human rights abuses past and present, reparations for victims of extrajudicial killings during Duterte’s term, and the defense of historical truths against revisionism. 

Fr. Caluag stressed the moral dimension, saying, “Let’s keep in mind that it is vital to call for the admission of guilt from the offenders. The return of stolen wealth and justice – coupled with appropriate punishment – is essential. Only then can true healing begin.”

The day’s program is packed: a prayer march from EDSA Shrine to Club Filipino in the morning, a main program at the People Power Monument in the afternoon, capped by a high mass led by Archbishop Socrates Villegas. Replicated across 86 dioceses nationwide, this isn’t just Metro Manila’s story but a nationwide reminder that people power is not a relic, but a living force.

The Trillion Peso March is not about reliving 1986. It’s about asking why, after four decades, corruption still feels like an unshakable curse. It’s about confronting the uncomfortable truth that dynasties thrive because voters allow them to. And it’s about reclaiming the spirit of EDSA — not as a museum piece, but as a call to action.

Can we turn the spirit of people power into something lasting, or will it just be another lap around EDSA?

(Image: Buhay Ang People Power | Facebook)