Maitum residents begin signature campaign, Friday prayer rallies for slain Mayor

MAITUM, Sarangani (December 2, 2006) – Maitum residents have started a signature campaign addressed to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the speedy solution of the murder of Mayor George Yabes.

In a petition-letter signed in a prayer rally Friday, the petitioners asked the President "to direct the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of Justice to speed up the investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators; uphold the rule of law and deliver the justice we all deserve."

This meant the call for President Arroyo was to assign the National Bureau of Investigation and state prosecutors to handle the case on top of police investigators and local prosecutors.

Friday's rally at the Catholic school Notre Dame of Maitum also kicks off a series of prayer rallies every Friday, 4 to 5 o'clock in the afternoon, in different venues.

Planned for the next rally was at the municipal gym, then to schools, public markets and churches.

Mayor Yabes, a devout Catholic and well-loved leader for his good governance style, was shot at close range on November 11 by motorcycle-riding gunmen.

The petition-letter covers province-wide through the Municipal Mayors League, where Mayor Yabes was a respected secretary-general and adviser.

Signatories were asked to endorse their signed letters to Region 12 Presidential Assistant Victorio Sexcion.

"We the people, children and friends of Maitum join the Yabes Family in seeking speedy justice for our beloved Mayor George Y. Yabes," the petitioners said.

They described the murder of Mayor Yabes, a "strong pillar of good governance," as "tantamount to taking from us a positive future."

The petitioners said the mayor's slaying was "unjust and most evil attack on our peaceful town, and the rest of Sarangani Province , by taking the life of our good leader and father of our community."
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"We cannot allow dark forces to destroy Maitum which is now under a cloud of fear," the petitioners said.

They condemned "our Mayor's killers and masterminds whose obvious motivations are to sow fear so that they can do their illegal activities for their personal interests."

"They may have silenced Mayor Yabes with bullets but his voice still rings in the wilderness – a voice that calls for justice. Let his voice be our voice," said the petitioners.
Below the petition paper were spaces where petitioners who "stand united to seek justice" can sign and write their statements. (SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)