Malacañang said there are more important things for Congress to tackle instead of amending the last line of the national anthem “Lupang Hinirang.”
“We leave that up to Congress. There are more serious problems that we need to face,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said.
Roque’s statement came on the heels of the suggestion of Senate President Vicente Sotto III to replace the “defeatist” part of the national anthem—“Ang mamatay nang dahil sa ‘yo”—with “Ang ipaglaban kalayaan mo.”
The national anthem was composed in 1898 by Julian Felipe while its lyrics were adapted from a Spanish poem written by Jose Palma in 1899.
Sotto made the suggestion as the Senate tackled Senate Bill No. 102 seeking to amend the flag by adding a ninth ray in its sun.
Senator Richard Gordon, who sponsored the bill, said there is a need to increase the rays of the sun to represent Filipino Muslims who fought against the Spaniards.
“I think inclusion should be the policy—to include our brother Muslims,” Gordon said.