Dubai, November 29: Filipinos expatriates attended holy masses in churches in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi on Friday in remembrance of those who perished in the massacre in Mindanao province of the Philippines.
The masses in the three emirates were sponsored by the Filipino Press Club-UAE as 18 of the victims were journalists covering the tragic happening.
Members of the Filipino Press Club-UAE wore black outfits as a mark of sympathy with the families of their colleagues who died in the brutal mass murder.
In Dubai, Vice-Consul Edwin Mendoza and his family led the Filipino community in the mass at St Mary’s Church. Mia Teodoro, 29, from Surigao in Mindanao, told Khaleej Times that she was shocked to hear of the very disturbing news and hoped the Philippine government would be able to render justice to the families of the victims.
Charito Espoyos, 39, from Cavite City said the incident was brutal and inhuman, and if the crime goes unpunished nothing good will come out in the country.
“I thought that only calamities would be happening in the Philippines. But, no. What is happening now is man-made disaster.”
Mayan Maurillo Go, 28, said what happened was very scary as it would mean that there were parts of the country, which were no longer safe.
“Our families are still there, so I urge the government to do something urgent as this incident is not a joke. It cost lives and 21 of the victims were women.”
Her husband, Alvin Go, 28, said, “It only shows how dirty the politics in our country is that politicians kill brutally those who are not with them.”
Betsy Cuevas, 35, of Larena, Siquijor, described the massacre as inhuman and demanded that the government should take urgent steps to find out the truth especially the suspect pro-administration.
The Arroyo government should show that it will not favour anyone under its political umbrella, and should seek justice judiciously and decisively without protecting ‘sacred cows’.
She said the incident, which caught international attention, only showed that politicians, particularly political dynasties, wanted to kill to retain their influence in politics.
—Agencies