Sotto wants to amend ‘defeatist’ Lupang Hinirang

Senate President Vicente Sotto III has raised the possibility of amending the national anthem, "Lupang Hinirang," to change what he called were "defeatist" lines.

“A number of years already, some people and mostly composers and writers I have been rubbing elbows with have told me that the last two lines of the Philippine national anthem sounds like a defeatist attitude,” Sotto said during the interpellation on the proposal to add a ninth ray to the sun on the Philippine flag.

The Senate leader was referring to the lines: “Aming ligaya na 'pag may mang-aapi, ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo.”

“Patay na agad e. I have thought of a line that could replace this: ‘Aming ligaya na pag may nang-aapi, ang ipaglaban kalayaan mo’,” he said.

Sotto admitted that the matter has bugged him for years.

“Is there a possibility of taking a second look at the national anthem. It’s in the same law. I’m not suggesting it right now, I’m just saying that you might as well look into the entire law and that includes the Philippine national anthem,” he said.

Senator Richard Gordon, author of the bill, said he has no objection to Sotto’s proposal.

“I share the feeling that very defeatist ‘yung ‘mamatay nang dahil sa’yo’. Just like the very famous line of former Senator Ninoy Aquino, ‘the Filipino is worth dying for.’ I think we should add ‘the Filipino is worth living and dying for’,” he said.

Sotto said he is willing to introduce it in the period of amendments and “let’s see the feedback.”

But Gordon said he would just file another bill for the purpose. — BM, GMA News