President Benigno S. Aquino III leads the 73rd Commemoration of the Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) at the Dambana ng Kagitingan, Mt. Samat Shrine in Pilar, Bataan on Thursday (April 09). This year’s theme is “Ipunla and Kagitingan sa Kabataan, Ihanda ang Beterano ng Kinabukasan.” Also in photo are US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg and Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa. (Photo by Benhur Arcayan / Malacañang Photo Bureau)
BATAAN, Philippines — Nobody wins in war.
This is the main message of President Aquino during the celebration of National Heroes Day in Mount Samat, Pilar, Bataan.
According to the president, the events during World War 2 severely impacted the livelihood of Filipinos. After the war, the country wanted to promote peace.
“The world is making its stand. The tragedies before should not happen again, especially when no one is really winning in any war,” said the president.
President Aquino explained Japan and Germany who were enemies during the war, are now advocates of promoting development in other nations.
The president also emphasized the importance of promoting peace in Mindanao.
Aquino said, “It is clear. Progress is impossible when there is faction. Violence will result in greater miseries and misunderstandings. While unity will result in progress. This lesson pushes me more to give solid support for lasting peace in Mindanao and for the Bangsamoro Basic Law.”
The president called for the public to support the administration’s steps to prevent bigger troubles the country might experience.
‘We will not let this happen to next generation. However, hard this may be, we will push for peace. Because this is the way to achieve justice for all.”
In the end, the president’s message to all: it is the duty of this generation to maintain peace in the country that each individual must fulfill. (NEL MARIBOJOC / UNTV News)