Duterte to attend Independence Day rites

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte will personally attend the commemoration activities for the country’s Independence Day on Saturday, presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr said yesterday.

“The President will personally attend the commemoration of Independence Day, which will be held outside Metro Manila, but I’m not at liberty to say where for security reasons,” Roque said.

“Our message is that Filipinos, even from the start, are ready to lay down their lives for the freedom of the nation,” he added.

Duterte did not attend the Independence Day rites in Rizal Park last year as part of measures to protect the Chief Executive from COVID-19. He however paid tribute to the modern-day heroes – doctors and heathcare workers – at the forefront of the government’s fight against the coronavirus.

When he attended the rites in 2018 in Cavite, the President was heckled by members of left-leaning groups who managed to join the crowd.

As he was heckled, Duterte said the Constitution guarantees the freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. He then asked the police to deal with the protestors peacefully and to exercise maximum tolerance, adding “we cannot agree at all times for all seasons but at least we have this exercise, once every six years, to elect the leader of the country.”

Meanwhile in Japan, Hard Rock Café branches in Tokyo and Yokohama are offering a Filipino menu for the whole month of June, in celebration of the 123rd anniversary of the proclamation of the Philippine independence

Hard Rock Roppongi, Ueno and Yokohama are participating in the Eats More Fun in the Philippines campaign called “Meet Philippines,” offering the chicken inasal sandwich, pansit bihon, and banana turon with mango sauce.

Customers who will be ordering from the campaign menu will receive an original clear file or stickers, and once posted on social media sites with the hashtags #EATSMOREFUNPH and #HARDROCKCAFE, a complimentary special pass case made of T’nalak.

In April, the Eats More Fun in the Philippines campaign was held and had been successful featuring the special Filipino menu served at Hard Rock and Tony Roma’s restaurants in Roppongi, Tokyo, which sold more than 1,000 servings to Japanese diners. – Pia Lee-Brago