Cebu City, Philippines – The brutal murder of Christine Lee Silawan in Lapu-Lapu City sent shockwaves around the country.
Netizens were outraged with the way the 16-year-old Silawan was murdered – stabbed multiple times, face skinned to the bone, and half-naked body left lying in a vacant lot.
Parents were among the most affected with the case of Christine, a tithe collector in a church in Lapu-Lapu City.
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Many of them were furious, some disturbed and others frightened.
But one mother chose not to dwell on the negativity of the case. Instead, she thought of coming up with something that can help ease the pain of Christine’s family.
On Thursday morning, this mother, who requested to stay anonymous, sent a message to Cebu Daily News Digital’s Facebook page, asking about Christine’s birthday.
“I want to buy her a cake,” the netizen said in her message.
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Christine’s birthday is on March 26, 2019. She would have turned 17 years old.
The netizen said that even though she personally didn’t know the family of the victim, she still felt the pain because she, too, is a mother to a young daughter.
“Kung sa ako part murag mawad.an pod kog kinabuhi…dili lalim sa part sa mama sa biktima…bisan unsa pa ta ka Kristohanon diay, lisod kaau dawaton sa kana nga case.”
(On my part, I feel like I would have died, too. It’s not fair on the mother of the victim. No matter how Christian-like we are, it’s very hard to accept the severity of that case.)
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The mother added that she was shocked that she came up with the idea. But she is determined to pursue her plan to celebrate Christine’s life.
“Na shock gani ko sa akong plano. Dili mi datu pero ang gugma sa Ginoo para sa tanan. Kaning akong kasing kasing, blessed lang ko kay mao ni gihatag sa Ginoo sa ako.”
(I, myself, was even shocked at my plans. We’re not rich, but the love of God is for everyone. I’m just blessed that the Lord gave me this heart.)
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She also urged other netizens to pray for justice, and to celebrate Christine’s birthday in their own ways, because a simple gesture like that would bring great comfort to the victim’s family. /bmjo