COPING WITH LOSS. Dennis Larida, who lost his wife and son at the Davao night market bombing on September 2, 2016 says his life was never normal after the incident. He fears crowded places because he thinks another bomb explosion might occur. (Zea Io Ming C. Capistrano/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY — Dennis Larida lost his wife and their only son at the Davao night market bombing on September 2, 2016.
Still coping with the grief, he said he misses his family who was with him the night when an improvised explosive device was set off past 10:00 pm.
Larida was sitting on a low chair in front of his son when the blast occurred.
“Gi-save siguro ako ni Lord through my son (Maybe God saved me through my son),” he said Monday at the Matina Enclaves while they were waiting for President Rodrigo Duterte.
The survivors and relatives of the deadly blast met with Pres. Duterte Monday, September 19.
President Duterte distributed cash assistance of P250,000 for those who were killed and seriously injured, and P100,000 for those who were slightly injured.
The deadly blast killed 15 people and injured 69 others. Eleven of those who survived sustained serious injuries.
Larida said he has learned to accept the truth that his wife and son are now gone but the pain of missing them remains.
“Everytime I go home and see my son’s coin bank I’m moved to tears,” he said.
But Larida hopes peace for the perpetrators despite the incident.
“Sa gumawa wala akong hatred sa kanila. I give everything to the Lord to forgive him pero kung may opportunity ako na mameet ko yung gumawa, i-open ko talaga yung Gospel sa kanila (I don’t feel hatred for those responsible for the blast. But if I get the opportunity to meet them, I will open the Gospel to them),” he said.
Larida, also a church elder, said “someday they will be able to come face to face with the Lord and they will receive Jesus Christ as their savior.”
Traumatized
Larida said the incident caused him to fear crowded places.
“Yan ang nasa mind ko palagi pag maraming tao is may bomba. So ngayon is nagashake ako ngayon dahil maraming tao ( If a place is crowded, I think that there is a bomb. I am shaking here now because there are a lot of people),” he said.
He said his life is not normal anymore but he is trying to get through.(davaotoday.com)
