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By NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES – BAGUIO-BENGUET CHAPTER

What happened exactly a year ago today, November 23, was not a portent of things to come.

What happened exactly a year ago today was an absolute manifestation that impunity had strongly existed a long time ago in our history.

And there was a kind power which was absolutely abused. A kind of power which coddled the enemies of truth.

It was a power that brazenly took the lives of 58 people, it was a power that we would never want, it was a power that was shamelessly used to hit democracy, and it was a kind of power that even attempted to evade justice.

What happened exactly a year ago today was not a bloodletting, it was not a kind of ritual that was called upon to  cure our society’s illnesses.  In the hinges of our imagination, what happened was a supreme blood sacrifice which we never wanted to happen again.

Their sacrifice continues as the government remains weak in implementing justice. We have 365 days in a year and yet, more than 100 suspects remain at large.

The sacrifice was too much, there was a lot of burning in the altar. But the altar was not on the hills of Ampatuan in Maguindanao, it was in the hearts of the living who will remain fighting for justice.

This supreme sacrifice should not go to waste, because the moment it should, the culture of violence that breeds selfish intentions and ills would only dominate to hasten the cycle of  impunity.

Let the Ampatuan massacre serve as a lesson to the warlords and political kingpins—your time is up, because ruthlessness has no place in the hearts of people who love democracy.

We will never falter in our vigilance. We will support all means to attain justice.

To those who want to follow the Ampatuan example—you may have the power, guns and ammunition, and backhoes, but  you will not succeed again, because the freedom loving people will watch you.

Remember: “ the power will always rest upon the multitude.”

We will always have the number, a number that we will always hold on to… a number that will never allow the gruesome killings to happen again.

WE ARE THE NUMBER. # nordis.net