18/08/2026
As a public servant, I am deeply saddened by the recent shooting incident in Zamboanga City.
What makes incidents like this even more painful is that they should remind us to look beyond the act itself. We need to ask: Were there warning signs? Were there struggles that were ignored? Could someone have intervened earlier?
While struggles and pain may help us understand what someone is going through, they can never justify hurting another person. Violence should never be the answer.
This is a reminder for all of us to listen more, guide BETTER, and take emotional struggles and conflicts seriously.
Let us create homes and communities where people, especially our children, feel safe enough to speak, ask for help, and be heard.
Let us not wait for another tragedy before we start paying attention. Let us listen. Let us guide. And above all, let us protect. MAY GOD BLESS US ALL