All in one day
This week’s Thursday was the bloodiest yet. Fifteen people were counted among the dead; 10 due to a legitimate police operation while five were killed during a suspected ambush. Fifteen families lost their loved ones in an instant. While others claim that it was in line of service, there is a thin line as to which life to protect; the victim or the authorities.
This is the same type of killing that we have been clamoring for to stop since the start of the new administration. We have heard how vocal they are in wanting to put an end to the drug problem, even declaring war against drugs. Like every other war, there are always casualties and the number goes high as time goes by. Several agencies like the Commission on Human Rights have tried their best to counter the so-called legitimate operations but they are having a hard time in acquiring the documents they need. So much for cooperation; it seems like the police have the power now.
Not that I am against the war on drugs, I also hate the thought that this illegal substance is proliferating in our society but I have always believed that there are different ways to skin a cat. Therefore, there could be other solutions to this problem without ending a life. I feel sorry for the families left who believe that there could be a second chance after the wrong they have done being involved in illegal drugs. I pity the children left who will grow up after losing a parent to the policemen because of a botched operation; or the parents who lost a child for that matter.
When will this all stop? If it’s not a legitimate police operation, then I pray that gun-for-hire groups would reconsider their bread and butter. Lives are at stake, lives which have been cherished through the years. The Catholic Church has already made a statement to keep on praying the Oratio Imparata until this will all end. I wonder how long or if such prayers would do wonders in an instant. God knows the real mastermind behind every killing that we talk of and he knows how to deal with this.
We need to live in a peaceful society where the children of tomorrow can proudly say: “Hey, Cebu is such an awesome place!” But if this continues, it will reach a point where my own child will be afraid to go out of our house for fear his or her safety. I hope we do not come to that. Do we want a place that is known for killings every day? Or a place that we can boast of to the rest of the world?
Today I put my hands together in prayer for the departed souls that they may find peace and also a similar prayer to the bereaved families. We hope justice will prevail and the right agencies will be guided by their conscience in all this.
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