Duterte wants bigger statue for 'national hero' Lapulapu

President Rodrigo Duterte wants a bigger statue for Filipino hero Lapulapu, claiming that explorer and colonizer Ferdinand Magellan has an unjustly bigger statue compared with the hometown hero.

"I am not belittling Magellan...I do not mean to offend the sensibility of Cebuanos. I’m just a citizen of this country expressing my opinion. When I was campaigning for the presidency, I went to Cebu and there was this statue of Magellan and Lapulapu. Magellan's statue is bigger than Lapulapu.  I don't know about the Cebuanos, but I am very uncomfortable to say that the statue of Lapulapu is smaller than Magellan," Duterte said in his public address aired Tuesday morning.

"There was a crowd [then] and I said if I become President, I will make Lapulapu's statue bigger than Magellan. Can you note that, Karlo, and somebody from NHCP to go there and try to look at the situation," he added.

The President was referring to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

"It should always be na mas malaki ang kay Lapulapu. Hindi talaga ako komportable. I do not like what I see. Paggawa na lang natin (Lapulapu's statue should always be bigger. I am not really comfortable. I do not like what I see. Let's have it built)," Duterte said.

"My hero is Lapulapu, not Magellan, although I respect Magellan," he added.

Nograles responded by saying that there is already a bigger Lapulapu statue in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, but the President did not budge.

"As a matter of principle, I do not want that Magellan has a higher statue than our national hero," Duterte said.

Lapulapu was the one who killed Magellan who was working for Spanish colonizers.

"Call the Historical Commission, I want it started," Duterte added.

In December last year, Duterte issued Executive Order 152 directing the public and private sector to refer to the first Filipino hero as Lapulapu instead of Lapu-Lapu.

He earlier hailed Lapulapu's bravery as he highlighted the Mactan leader's triumph against the country's colonizers. —KG, GMA News