PGMA's Speech during the Celebration of 'Araw ng Kagitingan' and Veterans Week

National Shrine, Capas Tarlac (09 April 2003)
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SECRETARY ANGELO REYES.

AMBASSADOR RICCIARDONE, THE HONORABLE CONSUL GENERAL OF JAPAN, AMBASSADOR NEBOGATOV OF RUSSIA, SECRETARY GORDON, COMMANDER ESTRADA, PRESIDENT DE OCAMPO, GOVERNOR YAP, CONGRESSMAN LAPUS, CONGRESSMAN AQUINO, VICE GOVERNOR AGANON AND THE MEMBERS OF THE PROVINCIAL BOARD OF TARLAC, MAYOR CATACUTAN AND THE OTHER MAYORS OF TARLAC WHO ARE HERE, REVEREND BISHOP CINENSE, BARANGAY CAPTAIN CAPUNO, MR. MAX SOLIVEN AND THE OTHER OFFSPRINGS OF THE VETERANS OF CAPAS AND BATAAN, GENERAL ABAYA AND THE OTHER OFFICERS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES, MGA MAGIGITING NA BETERANONG NAGTANGGOL SA ATING INANG BAYAN, MGA MINAMAHAL KONG KABABAYAN, KARE CABALEN KONG KAPAMPANGAN KETI KING CAPAS AMPON TARLAC, MAYAP A ABAC PU KEKONGAN, MAGANDANG ARAW SA INYONG LAHAT.

THE SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR II, MOST OF WHOM ARE NO LONGER AROUND, ARE PILLARS OF COURAGE AND HEROISM, WE'LL FOREVER BE INDEBTED TO THEM. THIS MEMORIAL THAT WE UNVEIL TODAY IS A TRIBUTE TO THEM. NOTHING IS EVER ENOUGH HOWEVER TO SHOW OUR GRATITUDE FOR THEIR SACRIFICE. ON THE WALL WE UNVEILED TODAY, ARE INSCRIBED THE NAMES OF 32,285 GALLANT MEN WHO TOOK PART IN THE BATAAN-CORREGIDOR CAMPAIGN AND THE DEATH MARCH FROM BATAAN TO CAPAS.

MAX SOLIVEN'S FATHER, COMMANDER MAJOR BENITO SOLIVEN, WHO COMMANDED 1,000 MEN HAS HIS NAME INSCRIBED IN THAT WALL.

SEVEN OF MY UNCLES HAVE THEIR NAMES INSCRIBED IN THAT WALL. ONE UNCLE, ANGEL MACAPAGAL, DOES NOT HAVE HIS NAME INSCRIBED IN THAT WALL BECAUSE AS HE MARCHED FROM BATAAN THROUGH LUBAO, ON THE WAY TO CAPAS, PASSING THROUGH HIS HOMETOWN, HE KNEW WHERE HE WOULD HAVE SOME DRINKING WATER FROM A WELL, AND HE WAS VERY THIRSTY. HE WENT TO THE DRINKING WATER AND FOUND OUT THAT NOBODY NOTICED THAT HE HAD GONE SO HE DIDN'T GO BACK TO THE DEATH MARCH AND HE SURVIVED. BUT SEVEN OTHERS DID NOT SURVIVE. AND I AM PROUD THAT MY FAMILY, THE MACAPAGAL FAMILY, IS PART OF THE DEATH MARCH AND PART OF CAPAS AND PART OF BATAAN.

EACH OF THOSE MEN, THE 32,285 MEN WHOSE NAMES ARE INSCRIBED IN THIS WALL, IS A HERO. AN EXAMPLE FOR US IN TODAY''S DIFFICULT TIMES, FACED WITH A MORTAL CRISIS, THEY EMBRACED A COLLECTIVE DESTINY AND GAVE THEIR ALL FOR THE FLAG.

HINAHANDOG NATIN ANG ATING SALAMAT AT DASAL SA MGA MAGIGITING NA ITO NA ANG KANILANG PANGALAN AY NAKASULAT DITO SA PADER SA HEROES' MEMORIAL. AT NAALALA NATIN SILA LALO NA SA MGA PANAHONG ITO, MGA PANAHON NA MARAMING HAMON SA MUNDO AT SA BANSA NA KAILANGAN NG MGA BAYANI SA MGA ARAW NA ITO.

TAYO MGA PILIPINO NG KASALUKUYANG HENERASYON HINAHARAP NATIN ITONG MGA BANTA, AT ANG MASASABI KO BILANG INYONG PANGULO, PARA HARAPIN NG TAGUMPAY ITONG IBA'T-IBANG MGA BANTA, KAILANGAN KO ANG SUPORTA NG BUONG TAONGBAYAN. HALIMBAWA, INIIMBESTIGA NATIN ANG NAGPAPUTOK SA DAVAO. THE ARREST OF THE SUSPECTS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. WE SHALL UNCOVER THE LARGER CONSPIRACY BEHIND THE TERRORISTS ACTS IN DAVAO AND EXPOSE THE FACE OF THE ENEMY TO THE PEOPLE.

I HAVE DIRECTED THE PROBE TO BE DETERMINED AND UNRELENTING. THE PEOPLE MUST KNOW THE MOTIVE AND THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THESE ACTS. EVEN IF WE HAVE TO CHASE THE TRUTH ACROSS FRONTIERS WITH THE COOPERATION OF OUR ALLIES AGAINST TERRORISM. I COMMEND THE VIGILANCE OF OUR SECURITY FORCES AS THEY FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM FROM VIOLENCE.

I ASK OUR PEOPLE FOR YOUR SUPPORT, TOGETHER, WE SHALL SHOW THE WORLD THAT THIS COUNTRY WILL NEVER BE A SAFE HAVEN FOR TERRORISTS GROUPS.

ISA SA ATING SANDATA KONTRA SA TERORISMO AY ANG KAGALINGAN NG ATING MGA SUNDALO NA PINAIIBAYO SA PAMAMAGITAN NG MGA PAGSASANAY KAGAYA NG BALIKATAN. ITONG TAON ANG BALIKATAN AY GAGANAPIN SA ILANG LUGAR KASAMA NA RITO ANG SULU. THE PROVINCE OF SULU IS STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT, AND THAT IS WHY BALIKATAN WILL PARTLY BE HELD THERE.

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WANT IT, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY. ANTI-TERRORISM EXERCISES WILL IMPROVE THE CAPABILITY OF OUR SOLDIERS TO GAIN GROUND. WE ARE DETERMINED TO CUT DOWN THE ENTIRE BODY OF TERRORISM IN THE COUNTRY, AND THE SULU CONNECTION IS VITAL TO THIS OBJECTIVE. THERE IS A NEXUS IN CENTRAL MINDANAO CONNECTED WITH ANOTHER HUB IN SULU BOTH INTERLINKED WITH MILITANT CELLS IN SEVERAL URBAN CENTERS. WE HAVE TO TAKE DOWN ALL THE NODES AND CELLS TO CONTAIN THE THREAT AND WE MUST NOT TAKE THIS EFFORT IN ISOLATION.

WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE OPPOSITION TO THIS EXERCISE. WE WILL TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE CONSTITUTIONALLY ADHERENT TERMS OF REFERENCE.

AND LABAN NG MUNDO KONTRA SA TERORISMO AY UMABOT SA GIYERA SA PAMAMAGITAN NG AMERIKA AT IRAQ. THE U.S.-IRAQ WAR IS VIRTUALLY OVER. THE COALITION IS NOW CROSSING THE BRIDGE BETWEEN MOPPING UP OPERATIONS AND THE BEGINNINGS OF RESTORATION. WE MUST REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE ALSO BENEFITED IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY FROM THIS VICTORY. WE ARE NOW SAFER FROM WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. WE ARE NOW MORE SECURE FROM THE TENTACLES OF WORLDWIDE TERRORISM ABETTED BY ROGUE STATES. WE HAVE WON FREEDOM AS MUCH AS THE IRAQI PEOPLE HAVE WON THEIR FREEDOM.

THUS, TODAY, HEROES' DAY BECOMES EVEN MORE MEANINGFUL AS A TIME TO REMINISCE THE SACRIFICES OF OUR OWN SOLDIERY AND PEOPLE DURING THE PAST WAR. CELEBRATING THE NOBILITY OF SOLDIERS GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO PAY HOMAGE TO THE COALITION FORCES AS WELL AS TO THE IRAQI SOLDIERS WHO DIED IN THE CONFLICT. WE ALSO JOIN THE IRAQI PEOPLE IN THEIR STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM WHOSE PROFOUND MEANING WE HAD ALWAYS KNOWN THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY. THIS MEANING OF FREEDOM IS THE STUFF OUR HEROES OF BATAAN AND CAPAS WERE MADE OF. MANY FOUGHT SHOULDER TO SHOULDER UNTIL DEATH. OTHERS PERISHED OUT OF HUNGER AND DISEASE.

IN THEIR MEMORY AND IN HONOR OF THOSE AMONG THEM WHO CONTINUED TO LIVE AMONG US, LET US ALL WORK TOGETHER AND HARDER THAN EVER TO WIN THE BATTLE AGAINST TERRORISM, TO WIN THE BATTLE AGAINST POVERTY, TO WIN THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, INDEPENDENCE AND FREEDOM.

THANK YOU.

[HOME]