Endo honors war dead in World War II memorial service
By Jaspearl Tan
Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya paid tribute to the Japanese and Filipinos who died during a memorial service for the commemoration of the 79th anniversary of the end of the Pacific War.
The memorial service for the war dead was held at the Japanese Memorial Garden in Cavinti, Laguna.
In a speech, Endo emphasized that the tragedy of war must be remembered, especially since there "are concerns about further instability in the region'' is a possibility of instability worsening in the region.
“There are concerns about further instability in the region. Also, the security environment surrounding Japan is the most difficult and complicated since the end of World War II,” Endo said.
"It is precisely at times like these that we must remember the tragedy of war and the preciousness of peace, and it is our responsibility to ensure that these memories do not fade and are passed on to the next generation,” he added.
Endo also vowed to bring back the remains of the Japanese war dead “as soon as possible”.
“We will never forget the many remains of the dead. We will do our utmost as a national responsibility to welcome them back to their hometowns as soon as possible,” Endo said.
“As I stand before this monument, I cannot help but think of the sadness of my fellow countrymen who were never able to step on the soil of their homeland again. We must also never forget the anguish and immeasurable grief of the countless innocent Filipinos, Nikkei-jins, and their families who were caught up in the fighting between Japan and the US-Philippines and lost their lives,” he said.
In an ambush interview, Endo said the Japanese government will try to address the issues of the Nikkei-jins.
“Various issues remain, stemming from the fact that there are no records of the nationalities, births, and other details of the Nikkei-jins (who are still stateless),” Endo told reporters.
“I had a lunchtime discussion with representatives of Nikkei-jins just yesterday. The Japanese government has a very limited time left, and there are of course many issues that must be overcome, but we will work hard to address them,” he said.
For his part, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. also honored the sacrifice of the Filipinos who died in World War II.
“Today, as we mark the 79th anniversary of the End of the Pacific War, we remember our fallen compatriots who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of equality, compatriots, and self-determination during that difficult chapter in our history," Marcos said in a statement read by Hanada Takahiro, consul general of the Japanese Embassy,
Marcos said that the country “shall forever honor and defend their legacy that remains ever relevant to this day.”
Marcos said the strategic partnership between the Philippines and Japan would pave the way to having peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Japan has been a steadfast partner of the Philippines for nearly seven decades now. Our two countries' strategic partnership guides our way into the future of our cooperation in numerous fields, not only for the prosperity of our peoples, but also for regional peace, stability, and progress. I therefore reaffirm my resolve to sustain our joint efforts towards this noble end,” he said. DMS
