VICE PRESIDENT Sara Duterte urged Filipinos to actively safeguard the nation’s freedom, not only from external threats but also from internal challenges like corruption, illegal drugs, and poverty, as the Philippines commemorates its 127th Independence Day on Thursday, June 12.
In her message, released ahead of the national observance, Duterte emphasized that the freedom Filipinos enjoy today is a direct result of the “genuine and profound love” and “valiant stand” of Filipino heroes against foreign subjugation. Their sacrifices, she said, allowed the nation to pursue its own aspirations and interests.
“Independence Day is an opportunity not only to celebrate our freedom but also to remind us of our duty to guard, protect, and defend it at all times,” Duterte stated.
She warned against “desecrating the memory of our heroes” by “embracing a culture of servitude” or “ignoring the hardships of many Filipino families and violating our rights and laws.”
The vice president identified several contemporary challenges to the nation’s freedom, including “excesses and corruption in government, widespread illegal drugs, problems in education, poverty, and hunger.”
“We did not gain freedom only for our country to be plunged into suffering. We did not gain freedom only to lose our rights again and become slaves of a few,” Duterte asserted.
She called on Filipinos to uphold the freedom that the nation has proudly shown to the world, urging them not to surrender it to “traitors and those who are indifferent to our people and our nation.”
Duterte concluded her message with a rallying cry for continuous vigilance: “Let us continue to defend our freedom and future from those who would enslave us. All that we do is for God, for our country, and for every Filipino family.”
Screenshot photo from OVP video
