Marcos: Spirit of Malolos commands Filipinos to resist those who trample country's sacred shores

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Tuesday vowed to continue the legacy of the First Philippine Republic, noting that the Spirit of Malolos commands to resist those who ''trample'' the country's sacred shores. 

Marcos made the declaration as he led the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the First Philippine Republic in Malolos, Bulacan. He was joined by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, other legislators, executive branch officials, and local government officials in officiating the remembrance.

''So, today, as beneficiaries of their heroism, we pledge to continue to pay those dues. For that is the only way that we can honor those who founded this Republic, those who fought for its ideals, and those who fell in the war. And the fight continues up to this day, because while the great cause of freedom endures, it still faces threats, some shocking, some subtle, but all met with the same resolve,'' the president said. 

''To those who “trample our sacred shores”, the Spirit of Malolos commands us to resist you, for the territory our forefathers fought for is unconquerable,'' Marcos added. 

Marcos said the wars that Filipinos fight today ''involve no armies to be crushed or trenches to be overwhelmed.''

''They require no bloodletting, no rushing of barricades. They are harder to vanquish, and they exact a toll of poverty, hunger, and disease claim more lives than any armed conflicts,'' the President said. 

''Their defeat requires new weapons of the day, forged by patriots, to be wielded against enemies neither take no prisoners nor cease or cede any ground,'' he added. 

Established after the adoption of the Malolos Constitution of 1899, the First Philippine Republic was Asia’s First Constitutional Republic that served as an inspiration for other Asiatic republics.

Earlier, Malacañang declared January 23, 2024 as a special non-working day in the province of Bulacan.

Signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Proclamation No. 428 stated that on the said date, Bulacan will mark the 125th anniversary of the inauguration of the First Philippine Republic which took place at the Barasoain Church.

According to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Malolos Republic Day is significant as it commemorates the country being recognized as an independent nation and the first republic in Asia.—RF, GMA Integrated News