Malacañang on Saturday called for a solemn commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Japan’s surrender that signaled the end of World War 2 on Aug. 15, 1945.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque urged Filipinos to reflect on the United Nations Charter of 1945 in remembrance of the historic occasion.
The UN charter resolved to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,” and to “practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors.”
Germany’s invasion of Poland in Sept. 1, 1939 marked the beginning of the second world war.
The war went on for almost six years until Japan, part of the “Axis” nations, surrendered to the “Allies,” which consisted of the Soviet Union, United States, United Kingdom and China, following the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Japan has repeatedly expressed contrition for atrocities committed during the war, but critics have doubted Tokyo’s sincerity because of a shrine that continues to honor its war criminals, and its refusal to acknowledge the so-called “comfort women,” who were abused and raped by imperial forces.
A comfort woman statue on Roxas Boulevard in Manila was removed by the government in 2018 supposedly for drainage repair. Japan had opposed the construction of the monument. John Ezekiel J. Hirro