Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 30) — On Bonifacio Day, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. called on Filipinos to protect the country against social ills and acts that threaten hard-fought liberties.
Marcos said the country owes this to Andres Bonifacio, a revolutionary leader who helped liberate the Philippines.
“The shackles that once held our forebears may no longer constrain us, but we must remain vigilant in protecting our country from social ills and other elements that threaten our liberties,” the president wrote on Wednesday, Bonifacio’s 159th birth anniversary.
In a speech at the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City, Marcos again lauded health and migrant workers, soldiers, and police whom he called “modern-day” heroes.
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“Pinapakita nila na ang bawat isa sa atin ay may angking kakayahan na makagawa ng kabutihan sa ating lipunan at pamayanan,” he said. “Ito ay isa sa mahahalagang pamanang iniwan ni Gat Andres sa atin — na ang bawat isa ay maaaring maging bayani sa ating sariling pamamaraan.”
[Translation: They show that each one of us can make positive contributions to the country. This is one of the lessons we can learn from Gat Andres — that all of us can become heroes in our own ways.]
Vice President Sara Duterte, for her part, expressed hope that Filipinos would take inspiration from Bonifacio’s “extraordinary love” for the country.
“May the fire he started in the name of freedom rekindle a deep sense of patriotism among us as we usher in a future strongly forged by our unyielding solidarity and our own acts of selflessness, courage, and bravery for our country and our fellow Filipinos,” Duterte said in a separate statement.
Meanwhile, various groups staged demonstrations across the country, amplifying their calls for the government to raise wages, help lower prices of commodities, and ensure justice for human rights victims, among others.
