VP Sara calls for concrete action to support terrorism victims

Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday called for concrete government action to support victims of terrorism, saying remembrance should go beyond commemorations and moments of silence.

In a video message marking the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, Duterte said the Philippines knows the cost of terrorism through communities affected by insurgencies and violent extremism.

“Our nation knows the true cost of terror. We speak about terrorism from the ground of its actual existence,” Duterte said.

She said communities in Mindanao and other parts of the country have endured bombings, extortion and violence.

“Hindi lamang pansamantala ang pinsala ang dulot ng terorismo. Sinisira nito ang takbo ng buhay ng susunod na henerasyon,” she said. (The damage caused by terrorism is not temporary. It destroys the course of the next generation’s lives.)

Duterte said the threat of violence remains a reality for many Filipino families.

“Hindi natin pwedeng iasa na lamang sa kanila ang muling pagtatayo ng kinabukasan mula sa mga naiwang guho ng kaguluhan,” she said. (We cannot simply leave it to them to rebuild their future from the ruins left by conflict.)

She said honoring victims should involve concrete measures, including justice, policy enforcement and rehabilitation.

“We cannot build a culture of remembrance on monuments and moments of silence alone,” Duterte said.

“True remembrance demands concrete action, an active commitment to justice, policy enforcement, and comprehensive rehabilitation,” she added.

Duterte also called for efforts to ensure the safety of communities, protect young people and provide adequate support to victims as they recover.

“Ang pagtiyak sa kaligtasan ng ating mga komunidad, pagtatanggol sa kapakanan ng ating mga kabataan at pagbibigay ng sapat na suporta upang makabangon ang bawat biktima. Ito ang tanging paraan ng pag-alala na may tunay na kahulugan,” she said. (Ensuring the safety of our communities, protecting the welfare of our youth, and providing sufficient support so that every victim can recover—this is the only way of remembering that has true meaning.)

She ended her message by urging Filipinos to strengthen their courage and compassion for one another. —LDF, GMA News