Let us not be bothered by President Duterte’s absence at the Rizal Day rites last Dec. 30. Really, he doesn’t deserve to lead the rites, much less stand on sacred ground where Rizal calmly faced his executioners. Maybe it is about time that our national hero be honored by Filipinos who have lived a life of service for our people.
In the future, I hope to see our modern-day heroes instead of politicians raise that flag every Rizal Day.
I am thinking of an indigenous person who has led his people to protect their ancestral lands; or an environmentalist who, with meager salary, risks life and limb to preserve our patrimony; or a human rights defender who tenaciously wards off sinister efforts to shrink our democratic space; or a media person who, like Rizal, uses his pen and words to speak truth to power despite the fact that at least 13 journalists have been killed under the Duterte regime.
I am sure we will never run out of honorable and patriotic Filipinos who have lived up to the ideals of Jose Rizal, because each generation has its own heroes.
EVELYN SILAY
evelyndsilay@gmail.com