Never again allow to compromise sovereignty, Duterte tells Filipinos on Christianity’s quincentennial

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday urged Filipinos to appreciate and learn the country’s rich history so that they would never again allow compromising their sovereignty.

Duterte made the remark during the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Magellan-Elcano expedition in the Philippines.

He said Filipinos can find relief in the knowledge that the Philippines have “gone far to correct the mistakes of the past.”

“As inheritors of this complicated yet glorious past, the duty now rests to the shoulders to continue the aspirations of our forebears,” he said in his speech.

“I therefore call on our kababayans to appreciate our rich history and learn from the experience of those that came before us so that we may never again allow any other tribe to compromise our sovereignty; invaders who would come and who would stay here and contribute to the richness of our culture; and, of course, in the way how we live,” he further said.

He also said history should make Filipinos reflect on the past and look beyond the future, urging them to honor those who have “toiled that we may become a nation we are today: modern, progressive and ever-thriving.”

President Duterte also thanked the ancestors of Spaniards who came here, hoping that the event would “fortify” the Philippines’ relations with Spaniards.

In 2019, Duterte said he will not support the celebration of the quincentennial of Christianity in the Philippines, saying that the faith was used by the Spanish as an instrument to subjugate the Filipino people.

EDV