Taunted and disrespected, gov't workers heroes too, says Briones

Government employees should also be considered heroes for working tirelessly amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said on Monday night.

In a briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte, Briones called government personnel heroes because they worked hard despite being taunted, disrespected, and sometimes accused of graft.

“We are celebrating National Heroes’ Day but I would nominate the person in government as a hero. Ang tao sa gobyerno, trabaho nang trabaho, kinakantiyawan, inaaway, binabastos, ina-accuse of corruption pero sige pa rin ng sige,” Briones said.

“Walang nagagawa ang isang tao sa gobyerno na nagbigay ng katuwaan sa iilang mga sektor. Parang wala kang nagagawa to make people satisfied. It takes heroism to continue serving under such circumstances na talagang ma-we-wear down kayo,” she added.

Briones said education undersecretaries should be given recognition as they continued to serve the public despite the allegations against them.

Earlier, Duterte honored present-day heroes, especially the medical frontliners who have been fighting to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country and even overseas.

Duterte encouraged the public to be inspired by the gallantry of Filipino heroes in order to create a better future for all citizens.

In a separate message, Duterte also said he is hoping that the courage and bravery of Filipino heroes would continue to inspire citizens "to uphold our democratic institutions and rally against all threats to our freedom and sovereignty." -NB, GMA News