Vice President Sara Duterte used the country’s commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan to draw a direct line between the sacrifice of Filipino soldiers at Bataan and what she framed as an ongoing fight to keep the country’s justice system free from foreign intervention.
In her message for the Day of Valor, Duterte honored the soldiers who held their ground during the Second World War — but her remarks quickly pivoted to the present.
“Ngayong araw, binibigyang-pugay natin ang mga magigiting na kawal na nanindigan sa Bataan. Ang kanilang sakripisyo ay hindi lamang pagpapakita ng lakas-militar; ito ay isang dakilang pagpapatunay ng pagmamahal sa sariling bayan,” she said.
The Vice President cast the defense of national sovereignty as the contemporary equivalent of that wartime courage, warning that any attempt by foreign institutions to insert themselves into the Philippine justice system constitutes a direct challenge to the freedom the country’s heroes fought to secure.
“Ang anumang pagtatangka ng mga banyagang institusyon na manghimasok sa ating hustisya ay isang tuwirang hamon sa kalayaang ipinaglaban ng ating mga bayani sa Bataan,” Duterte said.
She went further, asserting that the Philippines has both the capacity and the right to govern itself under its own courts and laws.
“May kakayahan tayong pamunuan ang ating sarili at pairalin ang ating sariling mga batas sa ilalim ng ating sariling mga hukuman,” she said.
Duterte’s remarks come as her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, remains in International Criminal Court custody in The Hague, where he faces charges related to the drug war killings carried out during his administration. The Vice President has been among the most vocal opponents of the ICC proceedings.
“The Day of Valor reminds us that our freedom was bought at a high price. It is a reminder that the defense of our Republic is a continuous duty that falls upon every generation. Today, valor is found in our courage to protect our sovereignty and our discipline to uphold the rule of law,” she said.
Echoing the resolve attributed to the defenders of Bataan, she called on Filipinos to meet present-day challenges with the same determination.
“Harapin natin ang mga hamon ng ating panahon taglay ang parehong diwa ng katatagan—panindigan ang isang matatag, ligtas, at tunay na malayang Pilipinas,” Duterte said.
