Solons call for 'genuine' PH independence

Albay Representative Joey Salceda on Saturday, June 12, said the essence of independence is the power to dream and achieve them.

‘’For me, we are not yet free -- from the pandemic of poverty, pandemic of low expectations of what our nation can accomplish. Filipinos continue to struggle for genuine independence,’’ Salceda said as the country commemorates today its 123rd Independence.

Assistant minority leader and ACT Teachers' Representative France Castro also joined different sectors to echo the call of the Filipino people for genuine independence.

"The Duterte administration's priority policies are contrary to the demands of the long struggle of the Filipino people for genuine independence from foreign incursions and interventions, far from achieving the fight against poverty, corruption and are the opposite of achieving freedom from a tyrannical rule and misogyny," Castro said.

"Despite the many failures of the Duterte administration to the Filipino people, it continues to boast its puppet relations with China and the US. This administration continues to be a mouthpiece of China as it continues to defend Chinese military actions against Filipinos and claims over the West Philippine Sea and our Exclusive Economic Zone. Instead of asserting our sovereign rights over the WPS (West Philippine Sea) and the EEZ(Exclusive Economic Zone) and protecting our fishermen, the Duterte administration continues to allow the Chinese coast guard to harass the Filipino fishermen even calling the historic arbitral victory against China's claims as 'a piece of paper that can be thrown away in a trash bin,’’ she said.

"On the 123rd Philippine Independence, the Filipino people will show its continued struggle for genuine independence," Castro stated. "The Filipino people are also not free from the Duterte administration's tyrannical rule as President Duterte continues to seek more power and control over all three branches of government and eliminate his critics. This administration continues to repress all those who dare to oppose and show dissent towards his policies. He continues to promote abuse towards women and the poor and continues to violate human rights and trample those who dedicate their lives in protecting the human rights of others,’’ she added.

House Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera, likewise, appealed Saturday for Filipinos to pull together and defeat the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Herrera said the pandemic is from over and the continuous battle against the deadly disease would still require a lot of sacrifices from the public.

“I know that all of us are eager to wait for the time that we declare our independence from COVID-19, and I am sure we will get there for as long as we continue to follow the health protocols,” she added.

“Like our freedom fighters, we all need to put the interest of the nation before us,” the Bagong Henerasyon representative pointed out.