Samira Gutoc

"We must raise children who will love and work for peace, not ones who are desensitized to violence and will continue to perpetuate this vicious cycle. Our children’s future is at stake."

"The Philippine Army engineering battalions say nahihirapan ‘yung backhoe at ‘yung mga gamit nila para sa mga bombang kasinglaki ng tao. Pero you know, we remind [them] na kasingbilis ‘nyo binomba ‘yung location ng Marawi, the Islamic capital of the country of the Philippines, ang tagal ba naman alisin. So it was easy to decide bombing but you cannot de-bomb the area?” asked Gutoc. (The Philippine Army engineering battalions say they find it difficult to use their backhoes and other equipment to remove bombs as big as humans. But you know, we remind them that the speed by which they decided to bomb the location of Marawi, the Islamic capital of the Philippines, is contrary to their slow pace in removing these bombs. So it was easy to decide bombing but you cannot de-bomb the area?)"

"Hindi po ito pagtatraydor sa prinsipyo na ni-lay out naman ng iniina ko sa pulitika na--aminado po ako... na maraming nagtatampo sa akin ngayon, talagang hindi po ako magkakaroon ngayon ng, how do you call it, future po sa political awareness ng tao kung wala po si (Vice President) Leni (Robredo).” (This is not a betrayal of the principles laid out by the one whom I consider as my mother in politics—I admit... that many seem to be bearing grudges against me now. I acknowledge that I wouldn’t have a political awareness in the minds of people if not for VP Leni Robredo.)"