President Aquino
RICHARD A. REYES/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Malaca帽ang is not sure if the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos will be among the war veterans that President Benigno Aquino III will honor today at the 73rd Araw ng Kagitingan rites at the Shrine of Valor on Mt. Samat in Pilar, Bataan.
Araw ng Kagitingan, also known as 鈥淏ataan Day,鈥� is a national public holiday. It commemorates the fall of the Bataan peninsula during World War II after months of fighting between the Philippine and United States forces against the invading Japanese.
According to Malaca帽ang, the yearly observance commemorates the 鈥渂ravery of our soldiers who fought in the name of freedom and patriotism鈥� against the Japanese invaders.
Palace officials, however, were not sure if Marcos, who had claims to being the most bemedalled Filipino war veteran, will be among those that Aquino will commend at the event.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said they were 鈥渘ot aware鈥� of any list of government-recognized war veterans with Marcos鈥� name on it.
He said he would 鈥渧erify with the Department of National Defense if the former President鈥檚 name is included in any list of war veterans.鈥�
Asked about Marcos loyalists鈥� claims to the late dictator鈥檚 heroism, Coloma said: 鈥淪uch claims to heroism, if revived, may be met with renewed skepticism by those who had previously disputed these. 鈥�
Marcos, who was president from 1966 to 1986, was an Army officer during the war.
However, it was revealed in United States government archives that he actually played little or no part in anti-Japanese activities during World War II.
Japanese Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa and US Ambassador Philip Goldberg will be joining the President at the event.
The theme of this year鈥檚 Day of Valor commemoration is 鈥淚punla ang Kagitingan sa Kabataan, Ihanda ang Beterano ng Kinabukasan.鈥�