VP Robredo on Rizal Day: Be united, always hold on to hope

(INQUIRER.net file photo)

MANILA, Philippines — As the country remembers the death of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, Vice President Leni Robredo urged Filipinos to “always hold on to hope” and to “welcome the dawn without ever forgetting those who suffered in the dark of night.”

In her Rizal Day message on Thursday, Robredo joined the Filipino people in commemorating the life and sacrifice of the national hero.

“We are called today to live out the true meaning of being a Filipino, as heralded and written by Rizal: Filipinos who are united, who share in communal responsibility, and who always draw strength from one another; Filipinos who always hold on to hope because they respond with compassion to the needs of their countrymen,” she said.

Vice President Leni Robredo   (Photo by Charlie Villegas / OVP)

“May we all be reminded of Elias’s final words in Noli Me Tangere, to always welcome the dawn without ever forgetting those who suffered in the dark of night,” she added.

“It is in this way that we truly honor the heroism of Dr. Jose Rizal,” the vice president further said.

Rizal was arrested by the Spanish colonial authorities and was executed by a firing squad in Bagumbayan or what is now Rizal Park or Luneta in Manila on December 30, 1896.

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