Duterte Youth's Cardema denies provoking EDSA Revolt celebrators

Duterte Youth National Chairman Ronald Cardema insisted on Monday that he and his followers meant no disrespect when they showed up during the EDSA Revolution celebration at the People Power monument.

"Magiging disrespect lang siya, sa EDSA, kung ang purpose nila doon ay to criticize, to attack [President Rodrigo Duterte]," Cardema explained on GMA 7 morning news program "Unang Balita".

He also insisted that it was not his organization that had nefarious motives. Rather it was the people who came to commemorate the EDSA Revolt.

"We know it was a commemoration of EDSA, 1986," Cardema argued. "But we also know that majority of the people there were not only celebrating EDSA . Many of the people there were anti-Duterte, and some of the leaders there wanted our president ousted from power."

They had therefore decided to unroll their banner and give Duterte's trademark fist-salute just feet from the celebrations to demonstrate their support for the president.

"The spirit of EDSA was free-speech, and what we were saying in our banner, we want to support [the president]," Cardema argued.

He was therefore surprised when musician Jim Pardes confronted them. "Kasi, alam niyo naman, for the longest time, ang sinasabi po sa grupo ni sir Jim, the Liberal Party, or their group, is for decency in our society, for goodness in our society. So akala ko mga tao doon, nagdadasal lang for whatever purpose ang gusto nila. Hindi ko akalain may manunulak sa tiayn namin," countered Cardema.

Because of this, he thought that it's only appropriate that Paredes to apologize for confronting them. — DVM, GMA News