UCCP still seeking justice for Pikit blast victims
Breaking News • 20:37 PM Mon Oct 27, 2014
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By:
DXND Radyo Bida
KIDAPAWAN CITY
– The United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) North Cotabato has
appealed anew to authorities to give justice to the victims of October 8
bombing of a UCCP Church in Pikit, North Cotabato.
While we
understand the difficulty of authorities in investigating the case, we would
like the perpetrators behind bars to give justice to the victims,”
UCCP-Cotabato Conference Minister Pastor Ely Espanola said.
Pastor Espanola
appealed to relatives of the slain victims to maintain faith in God amid the
trials.
Following the
incident, Espanola said self-imposed security measures are being applied in
Pikit UCCP Church to prevent similar incident in the future.
Government
nurse Felomina Ferolin, 54 and Gina Gabilona, 39, teacher, both perished hours
after the blast. Virginia Manolid, 63, also a teacher, expired a week later.
Police have
said investigators said the driver of motorbike used by the gunman who fired
M-79 launcher toward the Church had been identified but remained at large.
The secretary
general of UCCP in the Philippines has condemned the attack.
We condemn in
the strongest term the bombing of one of our local churches in Mindanao,” UCCP Bishop
Reuel Norman Marigza said in a statement.
No
circumstance or reason can justify such deplorable act on a house of worship
leading to the death and injury of worshipers,” Bishop Marigza, said.
He said to
date no evidence as to who was behind the attack.
There were
theories and speculations but nothing concrete as of yet,” he said, appealing to
Church members for more prayers.