Community remembers victims of Maguindanao massacre
UAE-based press club honours fellow journalists who were victims
Dubai: At least 30 UAE-based Filipino journalists and media professionals gathered on Friday at the St Mary's Church in Dubai to show their indignation and pray for the victims of the mass murder of civilians in Maguindanao in southern Philippines.
Clad in black shirts, with some sporting black ribbons, the journalists participated in the Filipino community mass which was specially offered for the 57 victims, 30 of whom were identified as community-based journalists.
The journalists, who were mostly members of the Filipino Press Club-UAE released a read: "We are one with the Filipino people in grieving for the fallen heroes on our country's darkest day in journalism.
"We deeply ache for the senseless loss of our brothers and sisters in the profession in history's largest single massacre of journalists ever. This human disaster is a chilling reminder of how our country has become hostage to the triad of dynastic politics, graft and tribalism that feed off each other."
Mariecar Jara-Puyod, a reporter for a Sharjah-based newspaper and president of the Filipino Press Club, said she was groping for the right term to describe how she felt when news of the November 23 carnage reached her.
"I'm so shocked. I've worked with one of the victims when I was a reporter for Tempo (a sister publication of the Manila Bulletin)," she said. Alejandro Reblando Jr, a staff reporter of the Manila Bulletin, was among the victims.
Speaking to the congregation, Edwin Mendoza, vice consul of the Philippine Consulate, called on the community to pray that justice be served to the victims' families and that the rule of law will eventually prevail in Mindanao.
In a separate statement, a Saudi Arabia-based Filipino Muslim group appealed to their Muslim brothers in southern Philippines to not let political ambitions destroy their unity.
"Muslim brotherhood, faith and unity should not be destroyed by one's thirst for power and political ambitions," said Binang Jiliano of the Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangang (Brotherhood in the Middle East).
Jiliano urged the Philippine government to provide swift action. He also asked his Muslim brothers not be controlled by the present administration, whom he suspects, is dividing the Muslims in Mindanao to easily rule them.
