Students say their piece for peace

STUDENTS lit candles for peace on Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City, as they urge President Duterte to stop extrajudicial killings. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Students from various schools in Metro Manila plan to send a statement to President Duterte and other government officials calling for a stop to extrajudicial killings.

Around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, around 500 students from Miriam College, Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) and the University of the Philippines held a candlelight vigil on Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, to protest the recent wave of drug-related killings sweeping the country.

The students occupied a portion of the sidewalk from AdMU to Miriam College where they lit candles to remember the lives lost in the government’s war on drugs.

Jasmin Galace, executive director of Miriam College’s Center for Peace Education, told the Inquirer that they decided to hold the activity to coincide with the celebration of the International Day of Peace.

“We will say our piece, we will speak up for peace,” Galace added.

Aside from the activity on Wednesday, she also said that Miriam College and other schools were planning to send a statement on extrajudicial killings along with thousands of signatures to Mr. Duterte.

“We want to say that there are other methodologies to fight drugs,” Galace said, adding that while they support the crusade against the drug menace, it was still important to value life.

According to her, Miriam College wanted to emphasize that its school grounds “is a zone of peace” where every human life is valued.

“We believe that political, economic and food security are also important, not just security from external threats,” Galace said.

“Maybe the government just does not have the time to sit down, process and reflect on the other methods they can use to fight illegal drugs,” she added.