Filipino Muslims should deepen role as instruments of ‘love, sacrifice, respect, selfless service’ — Duterte

EID MUBARAK. Filipino Muslims kneel in prayer in celebration of Eid al-Fitr at the Rizal Park in Manila on Wednesday (June 5, 2019). Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

As the country marks the end of month-long Ramadan today, June 5, President Rodrigo Duterte urged Filipino Muslims to deepen their role as “instruments of love, sacrifice, respect, and selfless service.”

In his Eid’l Fitr message, the Chief Executive said, “Take this an opportunity to deepen your role as instruments of love, sacrifice, respect, and selfless service and may each of you remain our government’s partner in promoting peace and understanding among Filipinos from all walks of life.”

Malacañang earlier declared June 5 as a regular holiday throughout the country in honor of Eid’l Fitr, or the Festival of Breaking the Fast, which Duterte described as an occasion that “binds the Muslim community together.”

“May all Muslim Filipinos observe this day as a time for reflection, enlightenment and renewal of commitment to a much stronger devotion to the Almighty,” Duterte said.

“I wish you an inspiring and meaningful Eid’l Fitr,” he added.

Apart from the President, Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo also sent her greeting to the Muslim community as she extends her prayers for residents of the war-torn Marawi City.

“We pray for our brothers and sisters from Marawi, who are still suffering and unable to return to their homes for two years now since the siege,” she said.

Robredo also mentioned the newly-established Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which is currently led by an interim government.

“We continue to pray for peace in the Bangsamoro region, especially as it transitions into a new era,” she said.

The Vice President also lauded the Muslim community for their selfless sacrifice, genuine compassion, and generosity.

“You serve as great examples to the rest of the nation of how we embody hope by feeding the hungry, clothing the homeless, and comforting the orphaned,” she said.

Beyond this year’s Eid’l Fitr, Robredo also prayed that Filipinos will “continue reaching out to the last, the least, and the lost among us – that in understanding and helping our people even at the cost of our personal comfort, we may truly find life and purpose.”