The Catholic bishop of the Prelature of Batanes in the northern Philippines condemned the killing of a resident in the village of Kaychanarianan in the town of Basco recently.
“As Ivatan, we are known for our values like protecting human life and are known as peace-loving citizens of our community,” said Bishop Danilo Ulep in a message released on March 27.
“And such act does not speak well of who we are as a community and as a people,” said the prelate.
The province of Batanes has the lowest crime incidents in the country according to the Philippine National Police.
“As we pray for the victim for his eternal repose and his family who are now mourning and grieving, we also pray for the offender that he may be enlightened and be sorry for his sins and that justice will be served,” read the bishop’s message.
He called on residents to be “vigilant in protecting human life in all its forms and ensure that as peace-loving Ivatans, our community will be characterized as a communnity of peace-loving” people.
The Ivatans are the ethnolinguistic group native to the Batanes and Babuyan Islands of the northernmost Philippines. Ther are known for their “adorable honesty” and their spirit of cooperation known as “Bayanihan.”
