In Independence Day message, Bong Go urges Filipinos to 'unite for greater good'

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Monday, June 13 echoed his support to President Duterte’s call for Filipinos to unite for the greater good as country transitions to the next administration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Go made the appeal during June 12, Sunday’s commemoration of the Philippine Independence, where he joined the President at the flag raising ceremony at the Rizal Park in Manila City.

“A hundred and twenty-four years ago, our country claimed for itself the right to be recognized as a free, sovereign, and independent nation. With our national anthem playing for the first time and the Philippine flag triumphantly unfurled, our forefathers proclaimed Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898, from the second-story window of the house of General Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite,” Go said.

“It was a bittersweet moment for our people as the fight for our nation's independence cost the lives of innumerable heroes and countless Filipinos, who no longer wished to be subjugated in their own country. Nevertheless, we stood proudly having established the first modern republic in Asia,” the senator stressed.

Go said he believes in the enduring spirit of the Filipinos and thus, hopes that the country will remain united as the nation continues to fight for other freedoms—"freedom from hunger and poverty and from neglect.”

“Let us remember that freedom is fought for not for the few but for the whole nation. Freedom is not given overnight but must be pursued and protected consistently in order for it to be felt by all in every corner of the country,” he added.

He also vowed to uplift the lives of Filipinos in the best way he can as it continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic and other crisis situations.

“I am aware that it is sometimes difficult to continue nurturing the hope that we will eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel, especially when we are constantly hit with challenge after challenge before we even have the time to fully recover from the difficulties we encountered during the pandemic,” the senator noted.

“However, time and again, we have proven that, if we stand united, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish as Filipinos,” he stressed.

“Just as we managed to secure our independence more than a century ago, we can also preserve our freedoms if we come together, keeping the spirit of bayanihan alive and facing the challenges besetting us head-on as one people and one nation,” the lawmaker reiterated.