FILE PHOTO: A woman wrapped in South Korea's national flag as she visits a grave at the National Cemetary in Seoul as South Korea marked Memorial Day in 2024. The occasion honours those who died during the 1950-53 Korean War and in other operations while serving their country. - AFP
MANILA: Defence Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. on Saturday (Sept 6) honoured Filipino soldiers who fought in the Korean War and warned that the same freedoms they defended decades ago face new threats from “non-democratic forces” shaping the modern world.
Speaking at the Korean War Veterans of the Philippines Memorial Day in Taguig City, Teodoro told veterans and troops that the Philippines and its allies must remain vigilant as competing powers push alternative “world order” narratives.
“I cannot sugarcoat my words in front of our veterans and in front of men and women in uniform, who stand ready to sacrifice their lives in defence of freedom,” Teodoro said. “We see once again, narratives being spun against our alliance, and this President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stands up to, as with all of us.”
Teodoro said these forces seek to “deny the freedoms that we enjoy today,” stressing that the Philippines counts on allies like South Korea to defend democratic values.
“Filipinos and Koreans do not look for conflict. We have seen too much of it,” he said. “However, we shall also not bow down.”
He also pledged to support Marcos’ efforts to build a “resilient national defence” to help the Philippines stand with partners such as the United States and South Korea “as guardians of freedom, democracy, and peace in the world.”
The event included a wreath-laying ceremony for the descendants of the 10th, 20th, 19th, 14th and 2nd Battalion Combat Teams, which represented the Philippines in the Korean War under the United Nations Command.
South Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa, Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete and other defence officials joined the ceremony. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
