Thomasians stand in solidarity with Marawi clash victims

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THOMASIANS expressed sympathy for victims of the attacks by the Maute terrorist group in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur in a prayer vigil and candle-lighting ceremony at the Plaza Mayor last May 25.

Central Student Council public relations officer-elect Francis Santos urged Thomasians to empathize with the Filipinos in Mindanao after President Rodrigo Duterte declared Martial Law on the restive island.

“Totoo nga yung sinabi na nandito tayo sa Manila [at] hindi natin na-e-experience yung nararamdaman nila and all that we can do is sympathize, empathize and [show that we are in] solidarity with them,” Santos told the Varsitarian.

UST Simbahayan Director Mark Abenir also encouraged Thomasians to “be in solidarity” with the victims of the Marawi clash.

“Being a Catholic University, it is a part of our Catholic mission to be in solidarity with people who are victims of unjust wars, and because of that we offer prayers and complete help to be able to alleviate their suffering,” Abenir said.

Vigilance

In a protest at España Boulevard last May 24, student activists condemned President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao.

League of Filipino Students-UST Chairman John Rolph Vergonia urged Thomasians to be vigilant now that Duterte has opened the possibility of extending martial law to the entire country.

“Sa mga Thomasians mas aralin natin ang ating lipunan ng masinsinan. Maging kritikal tayo [at] hindi sunod ng sunod sa norms natin dahil nga kapag dineklara itong martial law sa buong Pilipinas mawawalan tayo ng karapatan na lumaban,” Vergonia said.

The student activists also held a candle-lighting ceremony for the victims of the May 23 clash.

President Duterte declared martial law through Proclamation No. 216 “Declaring a State of Martial Law and Suspending the Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Whole of Mindanao,” last May 23.

“There is hereby declared a state of martial law in the Mindanao group of islands for a period not exceeding 60 days, effective as of the date thereof,” Section 1 of the proclamation read.

The privilege of the writ of the habeas corpus was also suspended as stated in Section 2 of the two-page document. The writ is a court order compelling authorities to produce arrested suspects and justify their detention.

CBCP decries hostage-taking

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines decried the abduction of Fr. Chito Suganob, the parish priest of the Cathedral of Our Lady Help of Christians in Marawi, and other hostages.

The CBCP called on the government to “deal with the threat without wavering compromise.”

“We call on all Catholics to pray with our Muslim brothers and sisters. We call on the occupiers who claim to worship the same God that we all do not to defile His name by bloodshed,” the CBCP said in a statement on Tuesday.

The CBCP also called on the Maute group to “do the One God true honor by the mercy and benevolence that are two of our God’s most exalted attributes.”

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