Lim says his assistance to Abuyabor humanitarian

City Mayor Dan Lim yesterday defended his decision to personally escort murder suspect Grace Abuyabor to Quezon City as nothing but a humanitarian gesture. Lim issued the statement after some quarters criticized his offer for assistance to the suspect and her family. “I don't see anything wrong with giving people second chances,” Lim stressed.

The mayor noted that he decided to go the extra mile for Abuyabor for two particular reasons. Lim said Abuyabor has confessed to the crime and is willing to accept the punishment for her crime. “Here is a suspect who is not hiding behind legalities but instead has admitted her sin in a straightforward manner,” the mayor noted.

He said that Abuyabor even considered committing suicide after realizing what she did and the shame that it will cause to her family. “You see that she is remorseful,” the mayor noted. Lim said that while there is nothing that can be done to bring back the life of Rosita Saren, the victim in the gruesome chop-chop killing, Abuyabor has indicated her willingness to suffer the penalty.

“She is better than other people who refuse to admit their sins even when there is clear proof,” Lim said without giving details. By coming out into the open, he said Abuyabor now has exorcised herself of the ghosts of unconfessed sin.

“She now looks refreshed not because she has killed a human being but because she is willing to suffer the penalty that comes with it,” Lim added. The mayor said that life is about second chances and those who stumble should be given the opportunity to be back on their feet as long as they admit their errors.

“There is a big difference between those who want to rise from where they have fallen and those who want to move on without being accountable for their sins,” he added. He said that people who belong to the first kind are the ones who will overcome their frustrations and disappointments while those in the second group will not be free of the guilt they never admitted.

Aside from helping Abuyabor get back on her feet again, Lim said he also wants to encourage her family to get over the stigma of the crime. “You cannot do anything about that anymore but you can do something about what happens from here on,” he added. The mayor dared those who criticized his actions to examine their own consciences if they have not committed anything wrong. “Only those who are sinless should cast the first stone,” the mayor concluded, quoting from the scriptures.

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