Gruesome crimes, particularly the incestuous kind. We thought it was only rampant in other regions., but no, it is as rampant in these mountains. And it had been going for a long time already. What makes you shiver in horror is the perpetrators are supposed to be the victims’ protectors. They are often close relatives– an uncle, a brother, a first cousin, or even the father himself. In so many cases, a common denominator is the absence of the mother who was abroad trying her damn best to improve the family’s economic situation. Only for an even worse situation to happen.
How members of such families manage to survive without committing suicide or murder or ending up in psychiatric asylums can only be attributed to God’s existence. While a good number of such perpetrators ended up becoming Muntinlupa residents for many years, a lot more have to be done towards prevention. For conviction cannot ever restore the life of victims from the pain and the trauma and the psychological scars to be borne until death.
But everything goes back to why children have to be left behind by well meaning mothers to work in far away shores. It is because of poverty. This makes such crimes even more tragic for this country is supposed to be rich, particularly this region with all its natural resources. For more than a century tons and tons of precious metals were crted away from under our mountains to primarily benefit outsiders.
Still something has to be done, better late than never. Considering the problem is grave and nulti-faceted it needs a whole of nation approach to be effective. And it requires a strong national leadership. Hopefully that is not wishful thinking.**