A lightning rally disrupted President Duterte’s Independence Day speech Tuesday but the Chief Executive kept calm and declared his love and respect for his hecklers.
A group of youth protesters slipped past security and demanded the President’s ouster, shouting “Hunyo a dose, huwad na kalayaan” and “Pasista. Duterte, patalsikin” at the start of the President’s speech in Kawit, Cavite.
The President briefly paused his speech and recognized the right of the protesters to free speech and assembly. Police agents nabbed the protesters and moved them away from the venue.
“Hayaan mo lang. It’s a freedom of speech. You can have it. Okay lang. I will understand,” Duterte said during his first Independence Day speech, waving his hand to the crowd.
“Our Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and free expression so I would just advise the law enforcement to just deal with them peacefully and (exercise) maximum tolerance,” he added.
Duterte recognized that he and his critics may not agree “at all times for all seasons” but they all share love of country.
“We may not understand each other but at least there is a common denominator and that is love of country. Nobody but nobody can ever question sa pagmamahal ko sa bayan [my love for country],” he said.
“Mahal ko kayong lahat. Pati na yun nagprotesta, mahal ko rin sila [I love you all. I love even those who protested],” he added.
It was the President’s first time to attend Independence Day celebration in Cavite. He apologized for being several minutes late for the 7 a.m. flag-raising ceremony due to bad weather in his flight from the Palace to the province.
Duterte skipped the freedom rites at the Rizal Park celebration last year since he was supposedly not feeling well after a busy workload the previous day.
In his speech in Cavite, the President paid tribute to the country’s heroes who offered their lives for the country’s independence more than a century ago. Duterte also acknowledged that the country continues to “enemies that attack from within” such as poverty, corruption, crime and illegal drugs.
“I have made it my personal mission to rid our nation of these ills, but I cannot do it alone. At this crucial juncture in our history, we need to draw strength from the lessons of our past to ensure that these ills do not cause any more damage to our future,” he said.
Among those present in the Independence Day Celebration were several Cabinet members, members of the diplomatic community, and other government officials.
A group of youth protesters slipped past security and demanded the President’s ouster, shouting “Hunyo a dose, huwad na kalayaan” and “Pasista. Duterte, patalsikin” at the start of the President’s speech in Kawit, Cavite.
The President briefly paused his speech and recognized the right of the protesters to free speech and assembly. Police agents nabbed the protesters and moved them away from the venue.
“Hayaan mo lang. It’s a freedom of speech. You can have it. Okay lang. I will understand,” Duterte said during his first Independence Day speech, waving his hand to the crowd.
“Our Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and free expression so I would just advise the law enforcement to just deal with them peacefully and (exercise) maximum tolerance,” he added.
Duterte recognized that he and his critics may not agree “at all times for all seasons” but they all share love of country.
“We may not understand each other but at least there is a common denominator and that is love of country. Nobody but nobody can ever question sa pagmamahal ko sa bayan [my love for country],” he said.
“Mahal ko kayong lahat. Pati na yun nagprotesta, mahal ko rin sila [I love you all. I love even those who protested],” he added.
It was the President’s first time to attend Independence Day celebration in Cavite. He apologized for being several minutes late for the 7 a.m. flag-raising ceremony due to bad weather in his flight from the Palace to the province.
Duterte skipped the freedom rites at the Rizal Park celebration last year since he was supposedly not feeling well after a busy workload the previous day.
In his speech in Cavite, the President paid tribute to the country’s heroes who offered their lives for the country’s independence more than a century ago. Duterte also acknowledged that the country continues to “enemies that attack from within” such as poverty, corruption, crime and illegal drugs.
“I have made it my personal mission to rid our nation of these ills, but I cannot do it alone. At this crucial juncture in our history, we need to draw strength from the lessons of our past to ensure that these ills do not cause any more damage to our future,” he said.
Among those present in the Independence Day Celebration were several Cabinet members, members of the diplomatic community, and other government officials.
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