SENATE MOVES TO HONOR FIL-AM WAR HEROES
"We need this inspiration in this time of discontent"--Kiko

In a bid to honor the 16000 Filipino soldiers who died in the very first large-scale battle of the American colonial rule and call for the creation of a memorial in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Senate Resolution 290 was passed by the Senate yesterday during the 109th anniversary of the Philippine-American War. Senate Majority Leader and the resolution's proponent Kiko Pangilinan said,"In this time of discontent and self-serving political interests, it is crucial to be reminded that there were Filipino leaders who put the nation first before themselves."

"The Libingan ng mga bayani has memorials for our soldiers who died in world war 1 and 2, the Korean war and the Vietnam war yet we have none for those who died during the Fil Am war...they died fighting for freedom and Philippine independence. They fought foreign aggression. They paid the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of Independence. The American colonial rulers described them as bandits and criminals. We must correct this grievous error in our nation's history by honoring their ultimate sacrifice. They laid down their lives for our nation yet there exists no war memorial for them in the nations cemetery for heroes. This is a terrible wrong that must be made right. It's the least we can do for those who fought and died for our country." Kiko furthers.

"The Fil-Am War of 1899-1913 is one of the most significant yet least known chapters of our history.It was dismissed as the 'Filipino insurgency' for a very long time until the US Congress recognized it as a legitimate war by the Filipinos against American colonizers only in 1999.Besides the casualties in the infantry, around 600,000 Filipino civilians were killed by this battle," Kiko said.

"We need to increase the awareness of our people regarding this significant event in our history, and we are urging the Dept of National Defense to establish a separate grave site or a memorial in the Libingan ng mga Bayani to honor the heroes of this battle. We likewise wish to see the DepEd and Natl Historical Institute to conduct further studies and research on the personalities involved in the events that transpired during the war using the Filipino perspective as resources available are mostly seen from a foreign point of view.We need 2 work on our history now more than ever, we need to draw inspiration from our past for us to have a better grasp of the present and of our future," Kiko ended.