DSWD solicitation demeaning to victims’ families

It is highly deplorable and grossly distasteful, to say the least, that the Department of Social Welfare and Development has established a bank account “for anyone who wishes to give donations” for the families of policemen slain in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

We find it so cheap, nay, outright demeaning to the next-of-kin of the victims of that gory Mamasapano carnage that the very government which employed the Special Action Force in a state-sanctioned police operation had to resort to “begging for alms” from the public to raise funds for their surviving relatives. The state is not yet bleeding itself dry to be justified in doing that.

The government should therefore put to a swift stop this act of contemptible mendicancy which only adds more insult to injury and does not help a bit in assuaging the deep-seated anger of the bereaved families of the “fallen heroes.”

The State must honor these valiant men by holding itself fully and unequivocally responsible to the grieving families and not pass on the burden of consoling them to the benevolence of “public donors.” It simply makes no sense and leaves a bitter after-taste.

—ALVIN T. CLARIDADES, PUP College of Law, Sta. Mesa, Manila