800 cops deployed to secure Day of Valor rites in Bataan

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a speech for the Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor ceremonies in Mt. Samat, Bataan, on Tuesday April 9, 2024. Photo from RTV Malacañang

OLONGAPO CITY — At least 800 police personnel in Central Luzon have been deployed to Dambana ng Kagitingan in Pilar town in Bataan province on Wednesday, April 9, to provide security for the commemoration of the 82nd “Araw ng Kagitingan” (Day of Valor) and observance of Philippine Veterans Week.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the occasion to pay tribute to Filipino war veterans.

“The security and safety of all the delegates, especially [the President] during the commemoration is our primary concern,” said Brig. Gen. Jose Hidalgo Jr., PRO3 director.

He added: “Continuous police presence is being conducted as part of our security measures to ensure the safety of our prominent guests.”

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It was on April 9, 1942 when some 75,000 Filipino and US soldiers stationed in Corregidor and Bataan formally surrendered to the Japanese army.

The prisoners of war were eventually transferred to Camp O’ Donnell in Capas, Tarlac, in what would infamously be known as the “Bataan Death March.”

Sitting on top of Mount Samat, the Dambana ng Kagitingan was built in 1966 to honor the bravery of these soldiers.

Joining Mr. Marcos in the commemoration are Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Ewing from the Embassy of the United States of America, Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya, Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and National Historical Commission of the Philippines Chair Lisa Guerrero Nakpil. INQ