President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stressed that endless lies – fake news and misinformation – are the true plague on freedom as he urged Filipinos to remain discerning in the fight against deception.
“Nakakalungkot din na may ilan din sa ating mga kababayan ay pinipilit ang maling paniniwala para sa interes ng iba at hindi para sa kapakanan ng ating mga kababayang Pilipino,” he said during the 127th anniversary of Philippine Independence and Nationhood.
Marcos called on Filipinos to always be discerning, to seek the truth, and fight against lies.
He told them to choose to be honest, even when no one is watching, choose to stand up, especially when something is wrong, and choose unity amid diversity.
The President emphasized that another enemy of freedom is the lack of concern for the needs of the people, denouncing government officials who abuse their positions and abandon their duties.
He called for accountability on issues concerning high prices of food, damaged roads, and power crisis.
His Independence Day speech came a day after his visits in Siquijor, which has been experiencing weeks of island-wide blackouts and rotational brownouts; and Tacloban City to inspect the San Juanico Bridge, which has reached critical condition.
Marcos stressed that freedom and democracy, like love for the country, must be nurtured and fought for.
“Dahil ang totoong kalaban ng kalayaan ay ang pagiging manhid. Manhid sa hinaing ng taumbayan. Manhid sa kalagayan ng ating kapwa. Manhid sa kapakanan ng ating bansa,” Marcos said.
“Pananagutan. ‘Yan ang sigaw ng sambayanan. Mula sa sirang tulay, kalsada, mahal na pagkain, kakulangan ng kuryente—ang nais ng taumbayan ay tunay na pagkilos at serbisyo,” Marcos added.
The President underscored that the solution for these problems lies in improving the lives of every Filipino, which is the center of public service that government officials must uphold.
“Bilisan ang pagtugon sa pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan, taasan ang kalidad ng serbisyo, at i-wasto ang ating pagkukulang,” he said.
“Papanagutin natin hindi lang ang mga umaabuso sa tungkulin, maging ang mga nagkukulang sa paglilingkod,” he added.
He further stressed that Filipinos will truly feel freedom when there is food on the table, proper transportation, medicine for the sick, and dignity for every worker.
He then urged the people to continue fighting for independence, saying that looking at what is happening around the world today, “freedom is fleeting; fake news, misinformation, herd mentality can erase our way of life, our culture, our value system that we hold so dear.” (Betheena Unite)
