‘CONTINUE TO PRAY AMID KILLINGS’

Palma, who led the Walk with Mary and the celebration of Mother Mary’s birthday at the Cebu Metropolitcan Cathedral, hopes that the minds of the perpetrators will be enlightened

Although he is saddened over the continued spate of killings in Cebu despite the release of an Oratio Imperata, Archbishop Jose Palma is asking the public to still have faith in God and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

He asks the faithful to continue praying so that the minds of those who disregard the law will be enlightened and their conscience will be shaken.

“We pray that their (perpetrators’) hearts and minds will be touched because we know the tears, we know the sadness, we know the sorrow that is the result of the spate of killings,” Palma said.

During the celebration of Mother Mary’s birthday yesterday, the Archbishop also asked the public to continue asking for her guidance amidst the challenges and trials they are facing.

“As we walk with Mary, perhaps there may be times that we get tired. But have faith that our mother will never leave us. Our mother will carry us,” he said.

Palma headed the Walk with Mary yesterday dawn from the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

Some 27 floats carrying different images of Mother Mary joined

the procession.

Chief Insp. Maria Theresa Macatangay, chief of the Fuente Police Station in Cebu City, said around 10,000 faithfuls also joined the procession.

Gunmen

Last Wednesday, Ronda, Cebu Mayor Mariano Blanco III was killed by four unidentified gunmen inside the town hall.

Two days after, a former councilor of Barangay Tabok, Mandaue City and his brother were also killed near an ice plant in the village.

Senior Insp. Mercy Villaro, information officer of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), said that Windyl Perez Alilin, 39, and his brother Brian, 35, came from a cockpit arena before they were attacked around 11:20 p.m.

“But there is only a small chance that the brothers got involved in a fight inside the cockpit

arena then the culprits waited for them but got nothing from them. That’s the reason we can’t say that the motive was robbery,” Villaro said.

However, she said there is also a big possibility that Windyl, who owns MARJJ Freight Services in Ibabao-Estancia, Mandaue, owes someone some money.

“There is a big possibility that he was borrowing money from anyone because the banks have been rejecting him. He needs money so his business will continue to operate,” Villaro said, quoting the victim’s secretary.

As of press time, MCPO is trying to get footage of the closed-circuit television cameras from the establishments near the crime scene.

The brothers’ wake is at the St. Peter Funeral Homes on U.N. Ave.