PALO, Leyte – Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho Petilla on Monday called for punishment of those behind the alleged anomalies in flood control projects as part of honoring the sacrifices of World War II veterans.

Speaking to officials and war veterans during the commemoration of the 81st Leyte Gulf Landings here, Petilla said people could honor the past by protecting the future.

"We will never get tired of commemorating the Leyte Gulf Landings only to remind us that we should not have another war… In the case of the flood control scam, we pray that sanctions will be put in place; otherwise, it will happen again, and just like any war, it should never happen again," Petilla said.

"If they go unpunished, our forefathers who fought and died 81 years in this land would probably rise from the grave only to ask us, 'Are you really worth dying for?"

Petilla expressed disappointment that all 81 governors, 1,500 town and city mayors, and 90,000 barangays nationwide have a budget of P1 trillion in 2025, almost the same amount the Department of Public Works and Highways gets every year.

"And then we get to do all the work and are expected to do the work… The question that lingers for most people is, 'Will we, the Filipinos, get justice? Are people going to be punished and sanctioned?'" he said.

The province on Monday marked the gallantry of World War II heroes that led to the liberation of the Philippines from the three-year Japanese occupation in 1944 at the 81st Leyte Gulf Landings commemoration.

Joined by foreign officials, the Leyte provincial government held a low-key celebration at the MacArthur Landing Memorial Park in this town, honoring the bravery of both Filipino guerrilla fighters and Allied Forces.

Present to deliver their solidarity greetings were Marc Innes-Brown, Embassy of Australia’s ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, and Minister Ono Sho, Embassy of Japan’s deputy chief of mission.

Assistant Secretary Domingo Carbonell Jr., deputy administrator for operations of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), delivered the commemorative message representing PVAO Administrator Reynaldo Mapagu.

It was on Oct. 20, 1944 when Gen. Douglas MacArthur, together with President Sergio Osmeña and Gen. Carlos Romulo, again set foot on Philippine soil, their first after they left Corregidor in 1942.

Their arrival started a battle that spanned 100,000 square miles of sea and was fought for three days, from Oct. 23 to 25, 1944, during the invasion of Leyte by the Allied forces.

The battle signaled the fulfillment of MacArthur's famous words, “I shall return,” after going to Australia to muster support from the Allied forces in the quest to liberate the Philippines from Japanese occupation. (PNA)