Incoming Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio urged Filipinos to honor the sacrifices of martyred freedom fighters by being united in ensuring the country “shall never again be brought to our knees” by external threats or internal challenges.
“Let us honor the sacrifices of our martyr by working together as one Filipino nation, to ensure that we shall never again be brought to our knees – not by external forces, not by disease, not by the differences that threaten to divide us as a nation,” Duterte-Carpio said in her message during the celebration in Davao City to mark the country’s 124th Independence Day.
“We must unshackle ourselves from our fears and learn from the past in order to rise up and face the challenges of the future, with resolve, with hope, and with trust in our fellow Filipinos,” she added.
Duterte-Carpio underscored how Filipinos are characterized by “love for family, sense of community, and resilience, enduring through difficulties with pride and integrity.”
“As we celebrate our independence and sovereignty as a nation, let us remember the brave men and women who came before us, who fought through the trials and tribulations of their own time, and whose love for the country has allowed us to enjoy the freedoms we have today,” she said.
For her part, outgoing Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday said she hopes her successor will continue the projects her office started.
In her radio program, Robredo said they are “positively conducting” transition meetings with the team of Duterte-Carpio.
“I hope what we started will be continued. We’ve had several transition meetings. They were okay. The incoming team is receptive,” Robredo said.
Robredo also said preparations are in place for the launch of the Angat Buhay NGO on July 1.
“The Angat Buhay NGO is undergoing registration. We hope that everything will be okay by July 1. We want everything to be above board,” she said.
Robredo lost to Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the May 9 presidential race.
“Nothing’s going to change in my job. What I will probably lose are my ceremonial functions. But in terms of my advocacy, it will stay the same,” she said.