While Filipinos visit their departed loved ones on this year’s “Undas,” they should also pray for the thousands killed in the government’s war on drugs and the victims of natural disasters, detained opposition Sen. Leila de Lima said on Thursday.
De Lima said Filipinos should reflect on the value of human life during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, and pray that the country gets the peace and justice it needs.
“Kaakibat ng pagbibigay respeto sa ating mga namayapa, isabuhay din natin ang paggalang sa buhay ng ating kapwa. Patuloy po nating ipanalangin na makamit ng ating bansa ang kapayapaan na may katambal na pananaig ng katarungan,” De Lima said in a statement.
The senator noted that this is the third “Undas” that the country will commemorate under President Rodrigo Duterte’s leadership, where she said the rising death toll due to the war on drugs is being tolerated.
“Sa kasamaang palad, sa halip na matigil na ang mga patayan, patuloy pang tumataas ang bilang ng mga biktima ng extrajudicial killings. Bagay na lalong nagpapaalala at nagpapasariwa sa sakit na nadarama ng libu-libong ina, ama, asawa, anak at kapatid nilang naulila,” she said.
The senator also asked how many more “Undas” should be marked before victims of extrajudicial killings are given justice and how long before the killings are stopped.
“Ilang Undas pa kaya ang lilipas bago tuluyang maghilom ang mga sugat na dala ng kawalang hustisya? Ilang araw, buwan o taon pa ang hihintayin natin bago mahinto ang mga pagpatay sa ating bayan na labag sa batas at yumuyurak sa ating mga karapatan?,” she asked. /muf