Honor GOD and our heroes by not wasting a great opportunity for repentance, restitution, renewal, and reconciliation!
THE BIBLE tells us in Ephesians 5:15–16:
“Be very careful, then, how you live… making the most of every opportunity.”
Today, on National Heroes Day, we thank GOD for and remember with gratitude the men and women who sacrificed so much for our country.
We honor the heroes whose names fill our history books, but also the countless Filipinos whose names we may never know. They did their best! They endured hardship and made sacrifices—some even imprisonment and giving their lives. They gave much freely because they believed! They believed that GOD has great plans for the Philippines and for Filipinos! That the Philippines could and should become something greater.
They believed Filipinos deserved freedom, dignity, justice, and equal opportunity. Filipinos should always have a government that serves GOD and its people.
They sacrificed because they had hope—not only for themselves, but for the generations that would come after them.
That includes us.
Thus, we have to step up and do our part. No matter what the cost!
So today, perhaps we should ask ourselves a difficult question:
Are we making their sacrifice count? Or are we wasting it?
Look at the problems confronting our country.
Immorality – a crisis of values, poverty and corruption – a crisis of hope, flooding, traffic, lack of jobs, and high prices – a crisis of inter generational lack of good governance.
Families struggle with the cost of living. Filipinos leaving to Find jobs abroad. Farmers and fishermen struggle to earn a decent livelihood. Communities face floods, typhoons, extreme heat, and other environmental threats. Billions are spent on infrastructure, yet many Filipinos still wait for basic services and genuine economic opportunities.
These are real problems affecting real people. They deserve real solutions.
But too often, the honest search for solutions is overshadowed by partisan politics.
Corruption and flood control are perfect examples.
Hundreds of billions have been spent. Communities continue to flood. There are serious allegations of corruption, ghost projects, substandard projects, kickbacks, lack of planning, lax regulations, and misuse of public funds.
So see it through—from investigation to accountability, from reforms on what is wrong to what is right and best for the country.
Follow the money. Inspect the projects. Question everybody. Examine the documents. Hold accountable anyone who stole from the Filipino people—regardless of surname, political party, friendship, alliance, or position. And while we are seeing some of these happening now, there are still some ways to go.
The process is not and will not be easy. Yet it is essential.
But the investigation and process must be a search for TRUTH, not a vehicle for political vendetta.
This is where Senator Ping Lacson and the majority of Filipinos fundamentally differ.
When accusations are made, what is asked for is clarity: What exactly is the allegation? What is the evidence? Who did what? Where are the documents, where is your evidence? Are these mere accusations, or is evidence presented?
But instead of allowing each specific allegation to be tested and answered, Senator Lacson responds with more unsubstantiated or misleading accusations, mostly, insinuations, and then confuse the issue with more issues.
One allegation becomes another. One question produces three more accusations. Until the truth is obscured and all that is left is anger, fear, confusion, and paranoia.
That does not bring us closer to the truth. It only makes the truth harder for the Filipino people to see.
To be fair – if there is evidence against DPWH, Taguig, or against me, then present it. Allow the investigative offices (like The Office of The Ombudsman) to do their job. Stop the theatrics and let the evidence do the talking set In The proper judicial Venue where fairness Is assured.
Let the investigating agencies investigate! Let the witnesses testify freely and truthfully. Let the accused answer.
And if there is corruption anywhere in government, investigate it with exactly the same determination.
Because every hour government spends on political warfare instead of solving problems is WASTED.
Every peso spent on projects that do not serve the people is WASTED.
Every investigation turned into political theater instead of a disciplined search for truth is WASTED.
Every opportunity to reform a broken system sacrificed for personal or partisan advantage is WASTED.
Senator Lacson has perfected the art of political persecution, which is a combination of demolition jobs, witch hunts, and trial by publicity, disguised as legal prosecution.
He intimidates and threatens witnesses and agencies, then he himself makes announcements for them.
This is nothing more than Modern-day McCarthyism.
And ultimately, we risk wasting something far more precious than government money or government time: The sacrifice of those who came before us.
Our heroes did not sacrifice so succeeding generations could perfect the politics of accusation.
They sacrificed because they believed we could build a nation.
National Heroes Day must therefore be more than remembrance. It must remind us of our responsibility.
Their courage gave us freedom.
Their sacrifice gave us a country.
Their hope gave us a future.
What we do with it is now our responsibility.
Let us stop wasting time, opportunities, and the Filipino people’s trust.
And let us get back to the difficult but necessary work of building the nation our heroes believed was possible.
Together let us Do More!
Together, We honor their sacrifice, By faith and in action, and always refusing to waste it.