DAVAO CITY — Mayor Sara Z. Duterte on Saturday called for continued public vigilance, as Dabawenyos commemorated the second year since the Sept. 2, 2016 Roxas Night Market bombing here that left 17 people dead and 69 others wounded.
The commemoration was held a day earlier to give families of the victims time to visit the graves of their loved ones.
“This is also an event to remind everyone to be vigilant. We need to help each other, we need to help our law enforcement authorities,” she said. “And let our law enforcers do their work and they will be the one to assess the information you will be giving to them.”
She reminded Dabawenyos to immediately report to the police if they see suspicious-looking people regardless how small the information they got.
Sara said the incident must be a learning experience to become better persons by helping the city in terms of security.
“They (victims), being angels up there, should inspire us to help other people and to help our city,” she said. “So, that is the most we can do because we cannot turn back time but we can only move forward and something positive should come out with that incident.”
The mayor said the incident should not instill fear rather people must “stand tall, united and always resilient in being Dabawenyos.”
The mayor joined the families of the victims and survivors in commemorating the Roxas Night Market bombing on Saturday.
It started with a mass celebrated by Archbishop Romulo Valles at around 3 p.m. at the blast site memorial along Roxas Avenue.
Sara led the offering of flowers and the lighting of candles with the department heads, city officials, Task Force Davao, Police Regional Office 11, Davao City Police Office, and the business sector.
The mayor thanked the people especially to the family of the victims and survivors who agreed to commemorate the incident a day earlier.
The mayor also committed the continued education assistance to the relatives of the blast victims. (Lilian Mellejor/PNA)
