Robredo on Independence Day: Freedom for all

Vice President Leni Robredo (Noy Morcoso/Inquirer.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday  said that freedom is for everyone and must be enjoyed by every Filipino as the nation marked its 122nd Independence Day.

“Walang kalayaan ang isa kung walang kalayaan ang lahat—dahil ang sistemang sisiguro nito ay gagana lamang kung lahat ay ituturing nang patas at makatao: Patas ang dignidad, patas ang mga karapatan, pare-parehong may kalayaan,” she added.

(One is not totally free is there is no freedom for everyone. The system that guarantees freedom for all will work only if there is equality in terms of dignity, rights, everyone is free.)

Robredo said that celebrating the independence of the country during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could salso erve as an opportunity to think about the real essence of freedom.

Robredo underscored that freedom transcends oneself and that its true meaning is freedom for other people.

“At sa mga pagkakataong may banta sa kalayaan ng isa, kailangang lahat tayo pumalag, dahil ang tunay na binabantaan ay ang kalayaan ng lahat,” Robredo said.

(When one’s freedom is under threat, we should all resist, because what is really under threat is everyone’s freedom.)

Further, the Vice President said that freedom should be for everyone, as she noted that the right, dignity, and freedom of the public to reach their goals should be equal.

This also applies to freedom to express opinion and beliefs, said Robredo.

“Kung gusto natin ng pansariling kalayaan para maghayag ng saloobin, kailangan ding siguruhin ito para sa lahat—dahil ang mga istrukturang panlipunang maaaring sumiil sa kalayaan ng iba ay maaari ring ituon para siilin ka,” she said.

Robredo hopes that next year would be a different story for the country’s celebration of its independence.

“Umaasa ako na sa panahong iyon ay hindi mababaon sa limot ang mga aral ng pandemyang ito. Na hindi tayo babalik lamang sa nakasanayan, na hindi ‘back to normal’ ang magiging pundasyon ng ating pamumuhay,” Robredo said.

“Bagkus, susulong tayo sa isang bagong mundo nang buong-loob at bukas-palad na tumutugon sa panawagan ng kalayaan, karapatan, at dignidad, para sa lahat. Haharap tayo sa bagong bukas nang kinikilala ang malalim at di-maisasantabing pagkakabigkis natin bilang Pilipino,” she added.

GSG