WAR VETERANS were remembered when the city government commemorated the 83rd Araw ng Kagitingan at the Veterans Memorial Monument at Ponciano-Roxas rotunda on Wednesday, April 9.
Mayor Sebastian Duterte said in a message delivered by Vice Mayor J Melchor Quitain, the annual event pays tribute to the courage of the fallen heroes and veterans during one of the darkest chapters in the country’s history.
“It is a day to reflect on the sacrifices made by our war heroes, many of whom endured hardships beyond imagination, not for personal gain but the liberty and peace we now enjoy,” Quitain reads the mayor’s message.
Duterte also called on the public to embody the heroism of the Filipinos of 1942 and let their bravery be a source of inspiration to rise with a deep sense of patriotism.
The vice mayor, along with former Davao City Police Office chief Isidro Lapeña, led the offering of flowers at the monument.
Lapeña, in his keynote speech as the guest of honor and speaker, recalled the courage of the Filipino soldiers and veterans that serve as a legacy to resist oppression and the willingness to fight for a brighter future.
“We recall this not for the battles they lost or won, but for the values they defended, freedom, dignity and love of country,” Lapeña said.
He added that Kagitingan is not confined to the battlefield or a mere word written in English books but a living principle to fight against overwhelming odds.
However, the commemoration was not a mere dedication to the fallen heroes, but it resounded “Bring Him Home,” referring to the Former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Lapeña said the arrest of FPRRD has raised doubts on the impartiality of the country’s justice system, the strength of the democratic institutions, and the sincerity of the leaders to serve above self-interest.
“After everything Tatay Digong did for us, Davaoeños, and for the country as a whole. Did he deserve to be treated as he was?” he said.
Lapeña also took a swipe at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., stressing that FPRRD did not deserve the mistreatment after Duterte gave his father the honor of a hero’s burial, yet in exchange detained FPRRD.
He then likened Duterte to the war veterans who sacrificed their lives and chose to stand their ground, “not for personal gain, but for the greater good for the Filipino people.”
“May we continue through peaceful and lawful means to appeal to our government to undo the injustice done to our fellow Filipinos and our constitution by bringing Tatay Digong home,” he stressed.
World War II veteran Teofilo Gamutan and the Veteran Federation of the Philippines Sons and Daughters Association graced the event.
Gamutan has been a figure of the city as its oldest living veteran of war. He is turning 102 this year.
