MANILA – Justice has been served for most of the victims of the gruesome Maguindanao Massacre on December 19, but one family continues to grieve without closure.
Ma. Reynafe Castillo, daughter of Reynaldo Momay, the 58th victim of the country’s worst case of election-related violence that took place in the November 23, 2009, said that it is painful that the body of her father has yet to be retrieved until now.
“Do you know how it feels to have no closure?” Castillo said in a television interview. “My papang‘s body was never been found. After this, yes, we may or may not get the justice we want. May mahaba pang laban akong nakikita.”
Momay, photographer for the local paper Midland Review, was declared missing after 57 bodies, including those of 31 other journalists, were dug from mass graves where their bodies were dumped by the Ampatuans.
“You know, if only the perpetrators will show remorse, kahit papano mababawasan ‘yung bigat,”Castillo said.
Castillo also noted that the first three years was the fight to file a case against the perpetrators, while it took about 3 years before Momay’s name was included in the list of those killed in the carnage.
“I am thankful to CenterLaw lawyers for never giving up on them. Giving up was never an option for me,” added Castillo, who was now based in United States./PN
