DAVAO CITY (August 28) — “Honor our Heroes”, this was the message of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, as he encouraged all Filipinos to pay respect to both the dead heroes and the everyday heroes.
In his speech at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani in Taguig City on Monday’s commemoration of the National Heroes Day, Duterte emphasized that the gathering was not only “to commemorate their sacrifices and remember their exploits but, more importantly, to emulate their selflessness and to live up to their example as we go about our daily lives.
Duterte paid tribute to Filipinos who breathe extraordinary heroism in facing the insurmountable odds in defense of this nation and the values it stands for.
The countries heroes do not only include those who have statues placed along the pedestal and galleries, those face who are reflected in the currencies and those written in the history books.
Duterte said the everyday heroes include people who sacrifice their lives for the country, which include the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), the volunteers, police officers, educators and ordinary Filipinos, who strive to make a difference.
“These are our [every day] heroes that we need our youth to emulate and look up to,” Duterte said.
Duterte also wants the Filipinos to “Honor our brave troops who gallantly sacrificed their lives to defeat communist insurgents, Islamic separatists, and other threats to our sovereignty, especially those who took part in the successful liberation of Marawi from the clutches of terrorism and extremism.”
Duterte is also hoping that Filipinos will embody embody the ideals and values that our heroes stood up for.
“Let us all become worthy heirs to their legacy so that we may leave behind to the succeeding generations of Filipinos a nation that they will also proudly give up their lives for, “ he added.
Before his speech, President Duterte led the wreath-laying rites at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani.-NewsLine.ph
