Duterte and Robredo urge Filipinos to emulate Bonifacio’s courage in the COVID-19 fight

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday urged Filipinos to emulate the courage of the father of the Philippine revolution, Andrés Bonifacio, as the country struggled with the coronavirus pandemic and a series of destructive storms.

Bonifacio unleashed “the fires of the revolution that awakened our national consciousness and served as the basis for this republic” during Spanish colonial rule, Duterte said, on the 157th anniversary of the hero’s birth.

“Now more than ever, as we overcome the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, as we remember his life and events, may the values ​​he fought for inspire all of us to become martyrs for the just, progressive and inclusive society that he imagined more. more than a century ago, “he said in a recorded message.

“Driven by extraordinary courage and determination, we will overcome the many challenges that lie ahead and secure a much better and brighter future for all Filipinos,” he added.

Robredo said that Bonifacio, a former warehouse worker and courier, the Supreme of the Katipunan and the father of the Philippine revolution, is best known for being brave.

Bonifacio’s bravery is rooted in his love for his fellow Filipinos, his insistence that no one should be abused or neglected, and the belief that everyone has the right to dream and the ability to forge a better life in a freer and more humane country. , said. .

“This courage is not a show. It is courage that does not bend simply because the road ahead is difficult,” the vice president said in a statement.

(This courage is not for show. This courage is not easily given up due to the difficulty of the road ahead).

“What Bonifacio exemplifies is not the cosmetic courage of boastfulness, nor power, nor brute force; it is the courage of compassion,” he said.

Filipinos can emulate Bonifacio by helping calamities survivors, following guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19, and opposing any neglect or abuse.

Born in Tondo as the eldest of a generation of five, Bonifacio was orphaned at age 14 and has since become the breadwinner of his family. He was self-taught, reading classical French novels, and writing manifestos and nationalist poetry.

Bonifacio formed and led the Katipunan, a secret society whose goal was to overthrow three centuries of Spanish rule.

The Supreme Court and his troops launched an armed revolution against Spain, breaking their residence certificates or ID cards in what became known as “The Scream of Pugadlawin.”

The anniversary of the birth of Bonifacio is a common holiday.