EXECUTIVE Secretary Eduardo Ermita yesterday said February 25, which marks the 22nd anniversary of the Edsa people power 1, would be a working holiday.

This simply means there will be work and classes on that day despite activities and ceremonies prepared to mark the event, he said.

The activities include a wreath-laying ceremony at the Libingan ng mga Bayani on February 22 and a flag-raising ceremony at the People Power Monument and a thanksgiving mass on February 25.

Ermita, chairman of the Edsa People Power Commission, said preparations started last month and invitations have been sent to members of the diplomatic corps and former presidents Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada.

He dismissed speculations the invitation to the former presidents, particularly Aquino and Estrada, is a means divert to attention from the controversies hounding the administration.

He said the former presidents have always been invited to the Edsa 1 activities but have not made it "for their own reasons."

"Objective really is to bring everybody together. After all we are celebrating a very important national event, the restoration of democracy. Everybody wants that," he said.

Ermita defended the decision of the administration to forego celebrations for the Edsa people power 2 of Jan. 20, 2001, which toppled the Estrada administration and paved the way for Arroyo’s assumption of the presidency. He said Edsa 1 is more important because "it was the restoration of democracy."

He added Edsa 2 is still fresh in the minds of the people, especially those who were directly involved or affected by it.

He said the President wants to "heal the wounds."

"Ngayon, the characters in other Edsas, especially Edsa 2, are still around us…So siguro minabuti ni President Arroyo, part of healing the wounds ay huwag na nating paulit-ulitin iyung mga character na naapektuhan ay mapapaalalahan pa," he said. – Jocelyn Montemayor