Filipino Broadcast Honors Late President with Surprise Gundam Song

Earlier this month, the Philippines experienced a loss when former president Benigno Aquino III passed away. The politician died at the age of 61 following complication from renal disease. This week marked his public viewing to the public as the Philippines wanted to make visitation as easy as possible given the pandemic. But for some fans, the broadcast they watched featured some unexpected Gundam music.

According to Anime News Network, the Filipino channel People's Television Network (PTV) aired the public viewing for locals. The state-run station dedicated much of its weekly coverage to the public viewing, and at one point, the network used a song from Mobile Suit Gundam to honor the late president.

The song is question was none other than "Kimi to Boku, Todokanu Omoi". This song is in the soundtrack fo Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny, and you can hear the segment for yourself here.

As for Aquino, the late president passed away after being found unconscious at home on June 24 of this year. The cause of death was ruled a renal disease and further complications from diabetes. Current president Rodrigo Duterte instated a period of national mourning following the loss.

And for those unfamiliar with the anime single, you need to acquaint yourself with Gundam. The song comes from the sequel anime to Mobile Suit Gundam SEED which is set two years after the original series. The anime ran from October 2004 to October 2005, and Gundam fans consider the sequel to be one of the best series to come from the franchise. You can read up on its Amazon synopsis below:

"Cosmic Era 73. Though the signing of a peace treaty brought the war between the Naturals and Coordinators to an apparent close, tensions fueled by the continued threat of Blue Cosmos continue to run high. During a conference between PLANT chairman Gilbert Dullindal and Orb representative Cagalli Yula Athha concerning the threat of a new military arms race, an Alliance special forces team attacks the ZAFT base they're meeting at and makes off with three new Gundam mobile suits. Forced to pursue them, Shinn Asuka of ZAFT and Athrun Zala of Orb set out aboard the new space battleship Minerva, and engage the retreating Alliance strike team in combat. But just as they catch up to the fleeing ship, the crew of the Minerva receives word of an even greater catastrophe in the making, which will undoubtedly re-ignite the brutal war between the Naturals & Coordinators all over again."

What do you make of this song choice? Have you ever experienced a moment like this before? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

HT - ANN