President Benigno Aquino III . INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III on Monday led the National Heroes Day ceremonial rites at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig.
Escorted by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang, the President led the wreath-laying rites at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.
Other officials present were Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, National Historical Commission of the Philippines chair Maria Serena Diokno, Taguig City Mayor Ma. Laarni Cayetano, and Taguig City Representative Lino Cayetano.”
“Today, we are reminded of the brave men and women who laid down their lives for the liberty that we cherish today. We are, and will forever be, indebted to their sacrifice,” Aquino said in an earlier statement.
Aquino said sustaining the legacy of Filipino heroes includes his administration’s “revolution for enduring change and reform.”
“Through the most daunting circumstances—in the face of the strongest storm to hit our lands, in our continuing fight against poverty and corruption, or in our steadfast campaign for peace and equitable progress—we shall prove, time and again that indeed, the Filipino is worth fighting for,” he said.