Duterte urges unity, sacrifice for lasting peace

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte reacts during a press conference held at Malacañang palace, August 7, 2017. INQUIRER PHOTO / JOAN BONDOC

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday called on Filipinos to unite “in our shared hope of attaining genuine and lasting peace” for the Philippines.

The President’s message came as the Muslim community is set to observe the Eid’l Adha or Feast of Sacrifice on September 1.

“Ibrahim’s admirable act of obedience to the will of Allah is a reminder to us all of the value of sacrifice necessary in our lives. It also exemplifies the necessity to surrender personal comfort for the greater good,” Duterte said.

Duterte, who is from Mindanao where most of the country’s Muslim population live, urged Muslim Filipinos “to renew their faith and reaffirm their devotion to the virtues of Islam.”

He underscored the need for Filipinos to unite amid the “adversities we face as a nation.”

“Let us bring forth the spirit of solidarity in our shared hope of attaining genuine and lasting peace,” he said. “May this occasion invigorate you to remain steadfast in our task of ensuring triumph against elements that perpetuate discord and violence.”

The chief executive urged Filipinos to be catalysts of unity in achieving “collective aspirations for our nation.”

“Together, let us become catalyst of unity and harmony in our respective communities as we firmly strive for the realization of our collective aspirations for our nation,” he said.

Duterte signed on Tuesday Proclamation 297, declaring September 1, 2017, which falls on a Friday, as regular holiday nationwide in observance of Eid’l Adha. CBB