Duterte honors selfless Covid-19 frontliners on Day of Valor

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte paid tribute to healthcare workers and other frontliners battling the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, as the country commemorates Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) on Friday.

In his Day of Valor message, Duterte said the unrelenting commitment of the country’s frontliners “reflects the heroism of the warriors of Bataan.”

“As we continue to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, we take a moment to honor the fortitude displayed by our selfless and dedicated frontliners whose unrelenting commitment in this fight reflects the heroism of the warriors of Bataan that continues to inspire in us a greater sense of patriotism and solidarity during these trying times,” he said.

Frontliners include health workers, uniformed personnel, government workers, media workers and those involved in the delivery of basic necessities such as food, medicine and other medical supplies.

The President said the Day of Valor was “a firm reminder of the unyielding determination of the Filipino to prevail over all forms of adversity.”

“The valor of our forebears, which was exhibited during the defense of Bataan almost eight decades ago, has left an indelible mark in our history and shaped our indomitable spirit to rise after every fall,” Duterte said.

“Today, we honor our fallen soldiers whose sacrifice became the bedrock of our resolve to uphold our most cherished liberties. May this awareness resonate among us as we strive to become worthy heirs to the nation that they fought and bled for,” he added.

Day of Valor, celebrated every 9th of April, marks the annual commemoration of the Fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942, and the bravery shown by the Filipino and American soldiers against invading Japanese forces during World War 2.

It also commemorates the Bataan Death March, in which exhausted Filipino and American prisoners of war were forced by their Japanese captors to walk some 112 kilometers from Mariveles, Bataan to Capas, Tarlac under the scorching sun with no food and water for days.