Marcos: Threats to sovereign rights causing harm to Pinoys unacceptable

PILAR, Bataan - President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday branded the present threats causing harm to Filipinos as "unacceptable." 

At the commemoration of the Araw ng Kagitingan, Marcos made a call to Filipinos not to yield to what he called "oppressors in our territory." 

“Some present threats to our sovereign rights have in fact already caused physical harm to our people. Ang mga ito ay hindi katanggap-tanggap, hindi makatwiran o makatarungan,” Marcos said in his speech. 

(This is unacceptable, uncalled for, and unjust.)

“Tulad nang ipinamalas ng ating mga ninuno, hindi tayo dapat magpasupil at magpaapi lalo na sa loob ng sarili nating bakuran,” Marcos added. 

(Just like our ancestors, we will stand against this oppression, especially since it took place inside our territory.)

Marcos made the statement a day before leaving for Washington, D.C. to attend the trilateral summit with the United States and Japan. 

The said summit is meant to elevate the ironclad alliance among the three nations amid the tensions in the West Philippine Sea due to aggressive actions by Chinese forces.

Marcos' statement also comes a month after four people were injured after two China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels water cannoned a Philippine boat on a resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

According to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), China's "unprovoked acts of coercion and dangerous maneuvers" against Philippine vessels have put the lives of Filipinos on board at risk and injured them.

Meanwhile, the President said the Fall of Bataan has marked the resurgence of the genuinely independent and sovereign Philippines.

''82 years on, our nation remains confronted with novel challenges, in varying forms and degrees, but with the same existential impact. Some portend clear and present threats to our sovereign rights, and in fact have already caused physical harm to our people,'' Marcos said.

In his separate message, Marcos called on Filipinos to emulate the bravery and resilience of the heroes who defended Bataan during World War II to overcome present challenges confronting the nation.

Marcos said the present challenges are in ''no way less grave with offensive forces continuing to threaten the nation outside and within, endangering the country’s hard-fought gains.''

“There are times when our struggles seem too complex or too daunting. Still, these are precisely the moments that we must stand by our cherished freedoms and principles, perform our tasks with utmost dedication and diligence, and fight fiercely for a better life and a brighter future,” he said.  

Meanwhile, Marcos also led the ceremonial turnover of 216 housing units in Balanga, Bataan as part of his administration's commitment to provide better housing in the country on Tuesday.

''Para sa kaalaman ng lahat, ang NHA-Balanga City Low-Rise Housing Project ay bahagi ng ating patuloy na pagsisikap upang bigyan ng maayos na tahanan ang bawat mamamayang Pilipino,'' Marcos said.

(For everyone's knowledge, the NHA-Balanga City Low-Rise Housing Project is part of our continued efforts to give every Filipino a home.)
 
''Ang mga low-rise buildings na ito ay tinayo gamit ang mga makabagong teknolohiya, kaya naman ang bawat pamilyang maninirahan dito ay makatitiyak sa tibay at katatagan nito,'' he added. 

(These low-rise buildings were built using modern technology. Every family who will live here is assured of having a safe and well-built home.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News