Shocked at the Killing of Davao Street Children
Published in TODAY
October 09, 1999
THE comments of Davao City Mayor Benjamin de Guzman (Today,October 6 issue)
are not in keeping with the sentiments proclaimed on the Davao airport
signboard: This is a child-friendly city."
The vast majority of the citizens of Davao are, I am sure, outraged and shocked
at he kililng of the street children, as any decentminded human would be.
The is why nongovernment organizations in the Philippines and elsewhere are
amazed that Mayor de Guzman has not gone out of his way to call on the Criminal
Investigation and identify the motorcycle gang that's murdering the street
children.
That is the duty of the mayor-protect the people, especially the poorest and
most vulnerable and most abandoned of society: the street children.
I have not claimed that the mayor is "codding [the] people [who are] killing
[the street] children." Ihave not made any other allegation whatsoever. I and
thousands of others from around the world simply called upon him , as the proper
authority , to take effective astion to se4e that justice is done for the
children and that he withdraw his approval of "secret marshals."
Is that too much to ask? Silence and inaction signify consent.
Fr. Shay Cullen
Preda Children's Home
Olongapo City
