Community defense system set
TOURISTS QUIZZED FOR SAFETY
BAGUIO City Police Director Ramil Saculles said a strategy to flag possible terror threats has been done in coordination with transient homes and hotels in the city.
Saculles said a strategy is now at the implementation stage to spot possible red flags on terrorism disseminated to boarding and transient homes as well as hotels.
The police chief said there are 16 key questions to be asked by home owners to would-be lodgers while hotels have 10 queries they will have to ask to visitors as part of the community defense system created to combat threats.
Saculles said the questionnaires have been given and is now
being implemented to help police spot possible terrorists who plan to infiltrate the city, saying answers to the key questions have been programmed to alert police on possible threats.
“The position of the city as a major tourist spot puts us at par with Davao and Bohol which have been targets of attacks in the past and the system the police has set in place is safety mechanism to assure peace and order,” Saculles added.
Sacaulles said barangay leaders have been alerted on the possible threats and have been briefed on what to look out for.
Months ago, Mayor Mauricio Domogan called for calm following reports from the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) and the AntiTerrorism Council (ATC) on reports on Saudi-inspired institutions operating in the city are allegedly involved in political and religious extremism and radicalism.
Sacuilles said there has to be strong community participation to fight terrorism enjoining the villages to be on the lookout for suspicious activities and report them accordingly.
Based on the presentation of the NCMF and ATC, it alleged some graduates from an institution in Baguio have been involved in illegal acts in Zamboanga City.
The mayor has since urged his fellow officials to intensify their massive information and education campaign regarding the government’s anti-terrorism efforts to help spare their areas from being invaded by terrorists who want to wreak havoc and ruin the prevailing peace and order situation in their areas of jurisdiction and prevent violence and bloodshed from happening around the country.