A military-backed"People Power" revolt in February 1986 ended the brutal rule of Ferdinand Marcos Sr and forced the disgraced family into exile in Hawaii.
Feb 25 was declared a"special national holiday" in 2000 by then-president Joseph Estrada. Rights activists typically hold rallies on the day to commemorate the restoration of democracy.Many had expected Marcos to abolish the public holiday after taking office. Instead, he moved the date for the"EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary" holiday to Feb 24 this year, which was a Friday.
Rights group Karapatan said its removal showed the Marcos administration's contempt for"meaningful social actions that pursue justice, truth and accountability". Project Gunita, which is digitising books, films and articles documenting Marcos Sr's rule, said it was another"state-sponsored attempt to whitewash the history of the brutal dictatorship".