Lapulapu should remain prominently in Luneta

Allow me to congratulate the Inquirer for reminding us all of our innate commitment to freedom as exemplified by Lapulapu.

It is comforting to see the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, dated July 16, 2023, featuring the statue of Lapulapu for restoration and with the commitment of the National Museum that it will stay in place as he is indeed the iconic symbol and original hero of what would become the Filipino nation.

The National Museum director general Jeremy Barns has assured this representation that Lapulapu will remain in the national park. This is good news because indeed Lapulapu must remain with Rizal as both of them are principal symbols of our struggle for freedom.

Lapulapu is in the hearts and minds of patriotic Filipinos who yearn and earnestly fight for freedom, integrity, and dignity.

I am deeply convinced that the Lapulapu statue as the “Sentinel of Freedom,” should remain prominently at the national park as an inspiration for all.

I worked hard to have the Lapulapu monument installed in Luneta Park in 2005. Through the generosity of the Koreans and the Korean Freedom League, the “Sentinel of Freedom” was given to us as a gift to honor the Filipino soldiers who fought and died in the Korean War in the early 1950s. This gesture is akin to how the French gifted Americans with the Statue of Liberty at the port of New York symbolizing a revolt against the divine right of kings.

Indeed, Lapulapu is not a local hero. He stands as a true nationalist who fought for freedom against the invading colonial forces at that time.

In The Hague, we asserted and won our claim for our exclusive economic zone. We, Filipinos, must not shirk from our responsibility to take the strongest position to defend the hard-fought arbitral ruling. We must not allow any betrayal of our country by lying supinely on our back whenever powerful forces brazenly taunt and bully us.

We must always remember the courage of Lapulapu and Rizal by standing our ground against the abusive. Or simply put “Sa manlulupig ’di ka pasisisil” or “Ne’er shall invaders trample our sacred shores.”

For our country, I remain, Richard J. Gordon, former senator