Heartfelt celebration

Because we are celebrating an event that is too far removed from our present, many of us find it difficult to be agog about Independence Day. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s proclamation of Philippine independence was done on a June 12, true, but that was a century and 19 years ago. That’s several generations past.

Every so often, veterans of wars and battles past would surface during Independence Day celebrations to remind us of what people of their generation paid for the freedoms that we now own. The most visible have been the veterans of the second world war, or immediately before the United States finally left us on our own, but even their numbers are dwindling.

As for the speeches delivered by incumbent government officials, they are so full of rhetoric that gets repeated over and over they already sound tired and monotonous. They talk of heroism and pay homage to the sacrifices of those who advanced and defended our independence, but it is often detached from what is happening in the here and now.

That’s why the Independence Day celebra- tion in Marawi City yesterday was different. In front of the Marawi City Hall, civilians and soldiers joined the singing of the national anthem as the Philippine flag was raised. It was held shortly after the city was shaken again by another of those fighter planes’ six-hour bomb runs, a sign that the fighting there has still to end completely.

Militants who aligned themselves with the terrorist group Islamic State (IS) attacked the city a few weeks ago, going on a rampage that killed a number of people and destroyed a big chunk of Marawi. In the early days of the rampage, the militants, who are mostly identified with the Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups, raised IS flags to stake a claim to the city.

That is why yesterday’s flag-raising ceremony in front of the Marawi City Hall was authentic. It was tearful, even. “We have shown to the rest of the world that we only have one flag,” said Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson of the Lanao del Norte crisis management committee.

It was the most heartfelt Independence Day line delivered yesterday.