Negros Occ forms Task Force Buglas

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon signed on Thursday an executive order creating an anti-terrorism task force.

Task Force Buglas, which will coordinate anti-terrorism efforts down to the barangay level, aims to hold a security summit next month to educate the public about measures to thwart terrorism.

Ma. Lina Sanogal, Provincial Planning and Development coordinator, said the task force will facilitate coordination between the law enforcers and the community for “prompt reporting.”

She said the public has to remain vigilant for any suspicious activities or people.

Officials of Negros Island Region on Thursday declared during an inter-agency security meeting that there is no terror threat on the island. Security forces, however, remained on full alert. “We need to have strategies due to the development (in Marawi City) and the current trend (in the world) to be ready for any future scenarios,” said Colonel Eliezer Lozañes, commander of 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Murcia, Negros Occidental.

Lozañes said the agencies came up with courses of action to combat possible terror threats during the inter-agency meeting. He didn’t elaborate, but said the inter-agency structure and mechanism, which includes intelligence sharing, establishment mechanism, and response, have to be effective.

Lozañes said they will be “going down” to the barangay level to educate the community on how to distinguish possible threats.

“We will also appeal to the community to cooperate and do their part as this is a concern of everybody. This is a very real problem,” he said.