FAMILY ASKS FOR RESPECT

The family of 16-year-old Christine Silawan ask the public to be sensitive to their plight after some netizens make memes out of images of her half-naked body

The family of Christine Lee Silawan has asked for the sensitivity of netizens after they found out that images of the teenager have been made fun of by several troll pages on Facebook.

Horrific images of the half-naked Christine have been turned into sour memes, angering netizens, who called the administrators of pages that posted them “insensitive.”

The half-naked body of Silawan was found on a vacant lot in Sitio Mahayahay, Barangay Bankal in Lapu-Lapu City Monday morning, March 11.

Lousiline Silawan, 21, Christine’s older sister, still mourns her death.

After finding out about the images, Loisiline appealed to the public to respect and be sensitive when posting on social media, saying their family is still grieving.

“Sakit kaayo para namo nga namatyan pa mi unya yaga-yagaan pa gyud. Undangon na unta na,” Lousiline said. (It’s very painful for us. Not only are we grieving for the loss of a family member, these people have the nerve to make fun of her images. Please stop it.)

Her mother Lourdes expressed gratitude to those who offered a reward for the arrest of those behind her daughter’s gruesome death, although she said what is important to them is that justice is served on those who perpetrated it.

The family is yet to decide on a date for the funeral. There were rumors that President Rodrigo Duterte might drop by the wake, but they did not confirm this.

Meanwhile, emptiness was felt inside the Grade 9-MA classroom at the Maribago National High School, as its occupants had just lost a classmate and beloved friend.

Classmates described Christine as silent and kind.

Most of them found out about her death through Facebook.

Her classmate Allyka Alegre could not hold back tears, as she recalled memories of Christine. She was the only one brave enough to sit next to Christine’s empty seat. /