Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez lays a wreath at the tomb of General Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite on Independence Day, June 12, 2022.
MANILA, Philippines — House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin G. Romualdez urged all allies and foes to set aside politics and be “heroes” for the nation as it commemorated the 124th anniversary of the Philippine Independence Day on Sunday.
“In the coming days, we are being called again to action and service. Not to bear arms against a foreign invader, but to heed the call of unity by the incoming administration of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr.,” Romualdez said in a speech Sunday morning as guest of honor during an Independence Day celebration in Kawit, Cavite.
“We are asked to reach out to our fellow Filipinos, friends and foes alike, and appeal to them to link arms for nation-building.”
Romualdez also led the wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb of General Emilio Aguinaldo.
Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez raises the Philippine flag at the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite, on Independence Day, June 12, 2022.
Romualdez admitted the country has been polarized due to political differences caused by the recent elections.
“Even families were torn apart by loyalties to opposing candidates in the last elections. The ‘cancel culture’ has reached our shores and wrought havoc on relationships among friends,” he said.
Romualdez, Lakas-CMD president who also served as one of campaign managers of Vice President-elect Sara Duterte, said now is the time to set aside politics and work together toward building a strong nation.
“My dear brothers and sisters, it is time now to set aside politics. Tapos na ang eleksiyon, a new set of leaders are set to assume on July 1. We need your support for our leaders, let us work with them, if we want the Filipino nation to rise again,” Romualdez said.
“Mga kababayan, harapin po natin ang hamon ng kabayanihan. Let us face these challenges with heads up high and with strong conviction to secure our victory. Be heroes in our own little way. Each one of us has a great role to play in making this nation great again.”
It was on June 12, 1898, that Aguinaldo, head of the Philippine Revolutionary Government, declared the country’s independence from Spanish rule.
On the same day, the country’s national anthem was played and the flag unfurled at Aguinaldo’s ancestral house in Kawit, Cavite.
The country’s 9th President Diosdado Macapagal proclaimed June 12 a public holiday in 1962.
“As we celebrate the birth of our nation today (Sunday), we also pay tribute to the heroism of our fellowmen who shed blood to secure the freedom that we enjoy at the moment. Dahil sa kanilang kabayanihan, payapa nating nakakasama ang ating mga pamilya at mahal sa buhay. We continue to enjoy the fruits of our labor, and we remain at peace with our neighbors,” Romualdez said.
“Let us carry on in honoring the memory of our heroes by doing our part in the heavy task of nation-building. Huwag po nating sayangin ang kanilang nagawa. Let us all protect the gains of independence by working hard to move our country forward,” Romualdez added.