Duterte urges Filipinos to emulate Bonifacio’s ‘love for country’
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Sat, 30 Nov 2019 06:08:20 +0000
ON the 156th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, President Rodrigo Duterte called on Filipinos to emulate the revolutionary hero’s “love for country” as “we bring to life the strong and progressive Philippines that he had envisioned for us all.”
Duterte, in his message on Bonifacio Day, said each Filipino should unite to rid the nation of corruption, criminality, terrorism, illegal drugs and other social ills.
“It is through Andres Bonifacio’s courage and selflessness that we have become an independent and vibrant nation that advances ever forward to the future. I urge everyone to emulate his love for country in our endeavors as we bring to life the strong and progressive Philippines that he had envisioned for us all,” Duterte said.
“Even in death, his great sacrifice persists to ignite the spark of meaningful change so that we can bring this nation he had left behind to greater heights,” he added.
The President said Bonifacio Day was “an auspicious occasion” to reflect on his “legacy of awakening the Filipino consciousness to fight for our freedom and build an entire nation.”
“The Father of the Philippine Revolution has taught us to embody patriotism and take a stand against our oppressors through the civic duties we fulfill as citizens of this great country,” Duterte said.
“Up to this day, we are challenged to continue his revolution as we liberate ourselves from corruption, criminality, terrorism, illegal drugs and other social ills that continue to plague our society,” he added.
Duterte is expected to attend the Bonifacio Day rites in Caloocan City on Saturday afternoon.
Last year, the President skipped the event as he “has to fly to Mindanao to attend to the problem of insurgency.”
Bonifacio, dubbed as the father of the Philippine revolution, was born on Nov. 30, 1863 in Tondo, Manila.
He was one of the founders of the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, a group who fought for the Philippines’ independence from Spain.
Bonifacio was executed by fellow Filipinos who accused him of sedition in 1897.
Meanwhile, Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo urged Filipinos to “become the new heroes of this generation in the mold of Andres Bonifacio.”
Panelo said this would “pave the way for the succeeding ones to resurrect the culture of love and nationalism that will propel this nation and country to progress and prosperity, under a regime of peace, security and life of comfort for all Filipinos.”
“Our identity as a people is rooted in the revolution the Great Plebeian started in his younger years. As heirs to this worthy cause, it is but fitting that we emulate his revolutionary fervor and continue with the struggle he pursued, together with the other heroes, for the emancipation of our countrymen from foreign dominion,” Panelo said in a statement.
“As we pay tribute to the Father of Philippine Revolution, let us be inspired of his life and his bravery as the remnants of society’s ills in his time continue to haunt us, even as they remain an obstacle to unchain us from the bondage of poverty and corruption plus the evolved modern twin evil of illegal drugs and terrorism,” he added. CATHERINE S. VALENTE