My Bravest King

 My bravest Kingkong, 

My heart is filled with so much joy for I've witnessed the hardships that you’ve gone through and finally, you've reached the goal of being heard. You just made a mark on Philippine history, King. You did, and it’ll forever remain irreversible. I know that before you reached this goal, you went through a lot of setbacks because not everyone can meet you in the middle or understand your well-researched beliefs. I know you as someone who never backs out no matter how tough it was for you to face things and all the consequences that you’re bound to face.

I know that this is more than just gaining recognition for you, but also to actually allow the nation to understand our history in a deeper sense. You embodied patriotism to the point that even if you put your life at risk, you never let it dishearten you. You were fighting for the freedom of the majority, even if you’re apprehended in high hopes for the rivals to hush you down. You know what you believe in, and you stand by it with your courage and knowledge that whenever you are confronted with a barrage of questions, you are always prepared to defend yourself and elaborate on your point. That what happens when you know what you believe in. I adore you for that because it only shows how persistent you are and how open you are to criticism, just so you’ll let it drive you to become better and more courageous to withstand all blockages of discouragement.

For seven long years, you had any time of the day to give up, but you never did because you believed in the facts you'd researched and, at the same time, you upheld your principles firmly. They weren’t cherry-picked principles by the way. They were the product of your long-term research, your accomplishment to spread accuracy.

This will always be a hard-won victory, not just for your hard work but also for the acknowledgement of having press freedom. This shows how much you love the country that you didn’t mind jeopardizing a peaceful life. You did the best that you could, even if it took you a long time to be believed in or even if it meant standing alone.

I also know that I was one of those people who was so confused and couldn’t understand why you were so eager to insist on it. But now I understand and I am here to always support you with all of my heart. I apologize for only staying on the surface for quite a while because I was merely on the same page as you. But everything’s clear now and everything you worked hard for has finally paid off. It somehow cost you so much from the past, including your peace and harmonious life, but now the nation knows that what you’ve searched for has been proven true and I am so glad that you never gave up.

You never took any opportunity to stop what you had already started. As for now, you’re facing different threats, but still, you never buckle down. That's what happens when you stay on the right side of the truth and you know that you only show your honest self to everyone.

I am more than proud to love someone who’s brave and has this great love for the country. You made me see the other side of reality as well, and that woke up my empathy and my ability to stand for what I think is right. You also taught me to always do my best to always search for facts, to be the source of truth, and to open myself towards the importance of knowing both sides of the story. You made me a better person by teaching me everything I needed to know to be a good inhabitant of the country.

My King, every time we get to commemorate Marcelo Del Pilar's National Press Freedom Day on August 30, many will remember you as the person behind this and know that it was you who primarily pushed through this campaign. But even without the recognition, I am just so glad that the long wait’s over and that you've got yourself a reason to be proud of everything you’ve been through.

Thank you for not buckling down. Thank you for not ending what you started. I am more than proud of you and I will always stand guard over your dreams and everything you want to explore and study. I know that this is only the beginning of the changes you will make in history and the first of many campaigns you will embark on. I will sail with you, my Kingkong. I will learn with you. I will grow with you. I will always be happy to know that you’re happy. How lucky I am that I am loved by someone who knows how to be persistent and pushes for what’s right and valuable. I love you so much and I appreciate everything you have done since day one. I will never stop doing life with you. I will never stop believing in you.