MANILA (UCAN): Philippine vice president, Leonor “Leni” Robredo, joined some families of slain victims of the war on drugs of the administration of the current president, Rodrigo Duterte, as they received the cremated remains of their loved ones in a Manila parish on October 20.
Robredo, who is running for the presidency in 2022, attended the event at the invitation of Project Paghilom, spearheaded by Father Flavie Villanueva, to bless and turn over seven urns to their families.
“The efforts [exhumation and cremation] are part of Project Paghilom’s mission of providing dignified, systematic and holistic care to widows and orphans who have fallen victim to the failed war on drugs of the Duterte administration,” Father Villanueva, a critic of Duterte, explained.
Father Villanueva said that Project Paghilom has shouldered the exhumation and cremation of remains of the victims after the expiration of their rented graves, as many families could not afford permanent graves.
“After being killed, families who have succumbed to poverty and fear had to desperately search for money to pay for the funeral services and grave sites. How can a family whose net income is barely 250 pesos [US$5] a day afford 35,000 pesos [$1690] for a funeral service and another 35,000 pesos for a decent grave site?” he asked.
Robredo assured the families that they would be given a source of income under her office. “Under our [Angat Buhay (lift life)] programme, my office will collaborate with civil society groups to help family members of the victims of the drug war,” she said on Facebook.
She further extended her condolences to the families of the victims and assured them that “the doors of the Office of the Vice President are open to give support to the loved ones of the drug war victims as they recover from this tragedy.”
Father Villanueva said Robredo’s presence provided a “comforting” atmosphere to the families present in the ceremony.
“The presence of our dear Vice President Madam Leni Robredo, who also tragically lost her loved one, provided a comforting atmosphere in the solemn healing for prayer service and ritual,” Father Villanueva said, referring to the death of the vice president’s husband, former Aquino cabinet member Jesse Robredo, in a plane crash.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
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Jesse Robredo was known for his heroic and simple leadership in his home town of Naga City in the Bicol region, south of Luzon.
“VP Leni mirrored how it is to be a father, who bravely stands with the weak, and a mother, who offers a soothing comfort during one’s most difficult moments,” Father Villanueva added.
