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Chief Justice appeals for sobriety in Mamasapano aftermath


Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Tuesday appealed for calm, in the aftermath of the clash between the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. 
 
“We call for sobriety as we all await the full report on the investigation. During this time, we must ascertain facts to avoid confusion and acknowledge the complexities of the situation to allow for the rule of law to truly prevail,” Sereno said in her statement.
 
Some 44 members of the PNP-Special Action Force were killed in what authorities are calling "a misencounter" in Mamasapano, Maguindanao over the weekend.
 
In the same statement, Sereno also conveyed her condolences to the families of policemen who were killed.
 
“In the wake of recent deaths in Mamasapano, Maguindanao involving officers and members of the PNP SAF and the MILF, I and my colleagues on the Supreme Court express our deepest sympathy to the families and loved ones of our injured and fallen policemen. We deeply mourn for those killed, and weep with their families as we would weep for our own kin. No words are enough to console the families for their loss, perhaps not even the promise of earthly justice will sound hollow at the time. But I ask them not to cling to the hope that there is always the eternal realm,” she said.
 
But despite her acknowledgement of the tremendous sorrow of the family of those killed, Sereno expressly cautioned against any calls of war, saying it will hinder rather than help the peace process.
 
“A call for war and retribution should never be made lightly and should remain always a final option. It should certainly not be made in the heat of the moment and in the face of, as yet, unclear facts and confusing narratives. Let us instead all contribute to our nation's search for just and lasting peace by encouraging all parties to bring any conflict to the table of peace instead of the battlefields of war,” she said. 
 
“Lives have already been lost. More violence and more deaths will not contribute to the cause of peace. Let us not add to the darkness but to the light. It is the only way that we ensure that the sacrifices of our fallen policemen would not be in vain,” she added.
 
Sereno also said that as head of the Judiciary she will remain committed to ensuring that justice is served.
 
“On our part, the Judiciary has committed to do its utmost to ensure that the rule of law is upheld. We have sworn to render justice as a sacred duty, even is our very lives demand it, in the same way that our soldiers and policemen have given their lives for the service of this country,” she said. —NB, GMA News
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