‘Peace cannot be attained by one person, by one country alone’ – Marcos

Metro Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. underscored the importance of peace embraced by contending parties in resolving conflict, as he led the commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) in Bataan on Wednesday, April 9.

In his speech, the president honored the heroism, courage, and sacrifice of those who fought in Bataan during the second World War.

“We celebrate the peace that was hard-earned by the blood and the sacrifice of all our servicemen, not just Filipinos, not just Americans, but also those who fought bravely for their own countries,” Marcos said.

He said there were a number of realizations from the conflict.

“The lessons that we learned are – that the solution to war is not more war, and that the solution to war is only peace. An honorable peace that is arrived at by the different parties involved and having a hand and a voice in achieving that peace,” Marcos said.

The president said peace is a common effort.

“Peace cannot be attained by one person, by one country alone. And that we have to bring together all the parties that are involved. These are the lessons that we hope to have learned,” Marcos said.

“We are a little bit disappointed to see that the world – parts of the world, and many countries in the world – have yet to learn that lesson. And we hope that peace will be brought to us soon,” he added.

Nation free from suffering

In a separate statement, Vice President Sara Duterte called on Filipinos to draw inspiration from the courage of Bataan’s heroes, and to push forward amid challenges facing the nation.

“Sa Bataan ay naipanalo ng mga Pilipino ang pag-asa at ang taglay nitong kapangyarihan para magpatuloy tayo sa pagsulong sa kabila ng mga hamon ng panahon. Ipagdiwang natin ang kanilang alaala sa pamamagitan ng pagtatag ng isang bansang kailanma'y hindi na muling daranas ng gayong pagdurusa,” Duterte said.

[Translation: In Bataan, Filipinos triumphed with hope - and the power it carries - so we can continue moving forward despite the trials of our time. Let us honor their memory by building a nation that will never again suffer such pain.]