Calizo tackles Oro’s security concerns

WITH the present situation of our region, let us not wait for any violence to happen in our city for us to learn our lesson but for us to take into consideration the bitter experiences of other cities like Davao, Iligan, Zamboanga, Cotabato brought along by various terrorist attacks.

This was the reminder of Councilor Romeo V. Calizo to representatives of security agencies, hotel managers, security offices of the city, and all those who attended the recent Coordination Meeting initiated by the City Mayor’s Office.

One of the issues discussed during the meeting was about bodyguards and high profile personalities entering establishments.

Calizo said that it is understood that establishments have their own unilateral decisions as far as securing their premises is concerned. He, however stressed that there should be no security risk in bringing bodyguards inside establishments in the city.

“There is no exemption in so far as carrying firearms inside business establishments is concerned, in fact now with the ban on the issuance of permit to carry, the issuance of mission orders by the military and the intelligence community, nobody should bring along their firearms outside their residence even though they are licensed. So much more with the illegal or the unlicensed ones these are all prohibited. So again, especially under martial law, there are a lot of limitations and constraints now being imposed by the government to discourage people from bringing along firearms,” the councilor explained.

The councilor cited that economic establishments especially hotels, restaurants, malls or even simple markets where people not only from Cagayan de Oro but visitors, as well, crowd together, are vulnerable as far as perpetrating violence is concerned.

“That’s why the city government is trying to plan out first to prevent or deter the perpetration of violence,” Calizo stressed, adding that terrorists should not be allowed to enter the city.

“Since there are a lot of entry and exit points into and out of Cagayan de Oro, kinahanglan gyud na magtinabangay kita on the information dissemination aspect such that everybody should be vigilant enough, alert and ready to report the presence of any suspicious personalities, belongings, or confirmed by reports that these are already indeed bombs or IEDs or IED materials,” he said.

These are all being planned out by the local government, that’s why the Oro Multi Agents Task Force was created to assure and focus on the physical security of the city, Calizo stressed.