Negrenses, especially members of the laity, were challenged to denounce and act against the recent spate of killings in Dumaguete City and other parts of Negros Oriental.

Msgr. Julius Heruela, rector of the St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish, issued the challenge in the masses he offered in honor of Sto. Niño, the Holy Infant Jesus, of which many fiestas were held in Dumaguete, last month.

He lamented that while people continue to profess their faith and claim to be devotees of the Child Jesus, their actions run counter, and they seem indifferent to what is happening in society today.

To live the faith according to the examples of Jesus is to openly protect the value of life, Heruela said. “Nobody has the right or authority to take a life, regardless of the background of a person,” he added.

He was referring to the spate of shooting incidents where majority of the victims were tagged by the police to be involved in the illegal drugs trade.

Heruela said that, in the past, when a prominent member of the community is gunned down, individuals or groups immediately came out and put pressure on authorities for the immediate solution of the crime and, in some instances, even went to the extent of calling for the sacking of police officials.

This is no longer seen these days, he said, and noted that the victims' families tend to keep mum instead of seek justice because of the stigma brought about by the alleged involvement of the victim in the drugs trade.

The sanctity and value of human life must not be ignored by those who profess to follow the examples of Christ, Heruela said.

He dared the faithful to take an active stand in the preservation and protection of human life, especially in this Year of the Laity, and the observance of February as Pro-Life Month, he added.

Meanwhile, church-based organizations in Dumaguete are expected to issue statements denouncing the spate of killings.*JFP/JG

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