Trees for Justice.”
Sister Lallyn Macahilo of the Oblates of Notre Dame, also convenor of the Pagbabago! Peoples’ Movement for Change, said the trees symbolize ‘life’.
“In other traditions, people plant trees in memory of their loved ones. We are doing this here. To plant trees in memory of those who were massacred,” said Ruby Padilla-Sison, chair of Gabriela-North Cotabato.
For Jojo Gonzales of NUJP, the mountains have different forces or energies. “Nature spirits abode in the forests. Healing must take place, especially among the relatives of the massacre victims because there is so much hatred and pain in their hearts,” he said.[]
Maguindanao Governor Esmael ‘Toto’ Mangudadatu was pleased that the media, not only in North Cotabato but also in other parts of the country, have not stopped commemorating the massacre every 23rd of the month.
“It makes me strong, even if sometimes I feel weak. It’s pleasing to know that there are groups, like media, who are with us in our quest for justice,” said Mangudadatu.[]
