By Vanne Elaine Terrazola
On the observation of Holy Innocents' Day Saturday, Senator Leila de Lima remembered the children killed in the government's campaign against illegal drugs.
Sen. Leila de Lima (PRIB Photo by Alex Nuevaespaña / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
The opposition senator related to President Duterte's war on drugs the Catholic holiday remembering the slaughter of male infants in Bethlehem as ordered by King Herod in attempt to kill the newborn Jesus.
"Inaanyayahan ko po ang ating mga kababayan na ipanalangin ang lahat ng batang naging biktima ng karahasan at walang awang pamamaslang sa ating bayan (I urge our countrymen to pray for the children who fell victims to the violence and the merciless killings in our country)," De Lima said in her dispatch.
"Saniño Butucan, Danica May Garcia, Francisco Manosca, Althea Fhem Barbon, Reynaldo de Guzman, Carl Arnaiz, Kian delos Santos and Myka Ulpina: They are the children who were murdered by Duterte’s merciless 'War on Drugs'—innocent children who were considered as mere 'collateral damage' by the current regime led by a despotic leader," she recalled.
De Lima also likened Duterte to King Herod, who "will do everything in his power just to satisfy his caprices and bloodlust no matter how inhumane his ways are."
The staunch administration critic maintained that the campaign should be stopped as it continued to involve children.
"Sa halip na makinig at itigil, binalewala lang nila ito at lalong kinunsinte at pinatindi ang karahasan. Kaya sa mahigit tatlong taon nila sa puwesto, dumami pa ang mga batang pinagkaitan ng kinabukasan, mga ina at amang naglibing sa kanilang anak; mga pamilyang naulila ng malambing at masayahing kapatid at mahal sa buhay (Instead of listening, they ignored our calls and intensified the violence. That's why more children are being deprived of their future, more parents burying their children, families losing their loved ones)," she said.
"Taimtim po nating ipagdasal na makamit din ng marami pang biktima ng pamamaslang, karahasan, at pagsasamantala ang tunay at ganap na hustisya (We pray that victims of killings, violence and abuse achieve genuine justice)," she added.