Siege-scarred Zamboanga City on alert
THE MAYOR of Zamboanga City, located more than 400 kilometers from currently besieged Marawi City, immediately convened local security forces on Tuesday to ensure that heightened alert is put in place. “Zamboanga City is not affected but we will continue to maintain heightened alert to avoid any spillover of the situation in Marawi City.” Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said in a statement posted by the city government. She ordered the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Office to direct all officials of the 98 barangays to monitor the situation and activate force multipliers in their respective communities. “We should remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious item, person and group in your area,” she said. Zamboanga came under siege for almost a month in September 2013 when members of a Nur Misuari-led faction of the Moro National Liberation Front attacked the city. —