PNP salutes, honors war veterans

The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday paid tribute to Filipino World War II veterans who sacrificed their lives to defend the honor and freedom of the country which commemorated Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor yesterday.

“The men and women of the PNP join our nation in giving honor to the Filipino soldiers who gave their lives and treasure so that we may all live in peace and freedom,” said PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao.

“We pay our respects to the heroes whose lives were sacrificed and whose blood was poured during the war in an unbroken tradition of a true Filipino valor thirsting for freedom,” he added.

Also called Bataan Day, the Day of Valor, or Araw ng Kagitingan, is a public holiday which commemorates the epic struggle of Filipino soldiers who, along with American forces, defended Bataan and Corregidor from Japanese invasion until its fall on April 9, 1942, during the World War II.

It was also during this time that the infamous “Death March” took place, as Japanese forces forcibly made 76,000 captured Filipino and American soldiers walk for 140 kilometers from Mariveles, Bataan to Capas, Tarlac.

Many of the starved, sick and beaten soldiers died along the way, thus the name, while halfway along San Fernando town, surviving ones were forced to board a cargo train to reach their destination but many died due to suffocation.

Only around 54,000 soldiers managed to reach the destination alive, according to records.