“Putting the interests of the Filipino first before foreigners” reminded Vice President Leni Robredo of Andres Bonifacio as the country commemorates his birth anniversary on Friday.
In a statement, Robredo recalled how Bonifacio showed “what it means to persevere in the midst of hardships and to sacrifice because Filipinos deserve better.”
“He believed that we should have a government that puts the interests of the Filipino first before foreigners and that no price is too high for the freedom of our country,” she said.
The remark came amid the ongoing territorial disputes on the West Philippine Sea as well as the ongoing investigation of the influx of alleged illegal Chinese workers in the country.
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In remembering Bonifacio, Robredo also noted how he led political activism, reviving the La Liga Filipina after Jose Rizal’s arrest, founding Katipunan, and leading the group through the Philippine Revolution.
“Bonifacio’s life demonstrates how an ordinary Filipino can do extraordinary things for the country,” she said.
The Vice President then encouraged Filipinos to remember what Bonifacio did for the nation and for Filipinos.
“May each of us embody the spirit of patriotism that Bonifacio exemplified in our everyday lives and contribute, in our own way, to the betterment of the Philippines,” she said. /ee
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