The Liberal Party (LP) of the Philippines on Friday said Independence Day is about freedom from disinformation and lies.
In a statement on their social media platforms, the party said that every generation faces “its own form of bondage that must be confronted”.
“In our time, chains and cannons are not the greatest threats to freedom. The threat is quieter… It comes in the form of lies repeated until they appear to be truth. Of propaganda that turns fellow Filipinos against one another. Of corruption that is simply accepted as normal. Of abuses of power that are shrugged off as long as we are not directly affected,” the party said in Filipino.
“Little by little, these things steal our ability to trust one another. They lower our expectations of government, society, and ourselves. Instead of striving for a better nation, many have learned to settle for less than the bare minimum of transparency, accountability, and compassion…this is the bondage that this generation should overcome,” they added.
The party said citizens who cannot distinguish truth from lie is “easily deceived”.
“A society that loses concern for the suffering of others is easily divided. And a nation that grows accustomed to authoritarian behavior gradually loses its ability to defend its own freedom. This is not how Filipinos have been known throughout history,” the LP said.
“We are the people who stood against colonialism. We are the people who overthrew dictatorship. We are the people who have repeatedly proven that there is a force greater than money, propaganda, and intimidation: the strength of citizens who are informed, united, and principled,” they added.
The question for Independence Day, according to the party, is not about whether the country is free, but if the citizens’ minds are free from lies.
