"Follow Davao" to ease Iligan's post-blast tension

[this story was dispatched today but will be posted in MindaNews
web tomorrow. because of urgency of the concern, I am posting it ahead.-vmg]

www.mindanews.com

ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews/December 21) – Two schemes that originated inDavao City have been suggested to ease the post-blast tension in thiscity: ban firecrackers and facilitate dialogues.

Iliganons from various sectors and faiths met Saturday afternoon with
military and police officials to discuss ways of responding to
situations brought about by the uncertainties following the December17 bombings that left two baggage attendants dead and 43 shoppers andvendors injured.

The succeeding days also saw the recovery of improvised bombs hiddenin a papaya fruit and planted in a bakeshop and in a garbage pile.

Major Efren Morados of 104th Infantry Brigade urged civil society tofacilitate a dialogue with religious and other traditional leaders toask them to help prevent escalation of violence.

Morados said this is a strategy adopted by Davao City during the spateof bombings there in 2003.

Davao City is the first city in the country to have deputy mayors fromamong the Moro and Lumad tribes living in the city.

Jun Tenorio, vice-president of the Civil Society Organization Forumfor Peace (CSOFP), a network of non-governmental organizations, alsosaid it would be wise for Iligan to adopt the policy of Davao Citythat prohibits fireworks during (the holidays) as we will then havethe difficulty of identifying which is an explosion from bomb and anexplosion from firecrackers."

"Some have said that those who are selling firecrackers may havebusiness rights but we have security concerns, too. If Davao City wasable to make it, why can't we?" he asked.

Davao City has been celebrating quiet Christmases and New Years sincethe firecracker ban was imposed in 2001. The city ordinance banningfirecrackers was actually passed only in 2002 but as early as 2001,Mayor Rodrigo Duterte banned the sale of firecrackers and pyrotechnicsby not issuing business permits to vendors and malls intending to sellthese. He said the money for fireworks would be better spent on food.He also announced a P5,000 bounty for anyone who could pinpoint anyonefiring a gun during the merrymaking.

In 2002, the City Council passed Ordinance 060-02 prohibiting themanufacture, sale, distribution, possession, or use of firecrackers orpyrotechnic devices.

Iligan's policemen, soldiers, media and non-government workers agreedwith Tenorio's suggestion.

They also agreed that a crash course on identifying improvisedexplosive devises (IEDs) be provided to barangays and baggage attendants.

Media representatives from DXLS, DXRJ, Gold Star and GMA.TV urged thepolice and military to strengthen intelligence network and ensureappropriate distribution of right information. Concerns were raisedover the spread of disinformation.

It was also suggested that "intelligence-riders" be fielded to helpmonitor if buses are planted with bombs.

Jane Bernardo, CSOFP chair, sees the need for the city government toadopt, localize and enforce national policies relating to security aswell as "to review the disaster plans of Iligan City and urge tointegrate man-made disaster response and mitigation of risks."

She also appealed to media workers to "refrain from making immediateconclusion pending investigations of the case; stop disinformation;and to gather accurate, reliable data before reporting."

Participants also exchanged numbers and hotlines to call if bombs arediscovered and to validate information.

Morados gave a crash course to the participants on identifying IED.

Police senior inspector Ramil Lluisma, commander of Station 5,clarified all issues and concerns relating to police role's forsecurity.

Father Nasser Zaragoza, head priest of Bacolod town, Lanao del Norteand chairperson of the Movement for Truth, Justice and Peace [MTJP] ispresently initiating dialogues with partners to raise financialsupport for the victims of the bombing.

On Sunday afternoon, Hadji Abduhkarim Ambor, a Muslim religiousleader, urged all Imams in the city to dialogue with Muslims in theirrespective mosques to help secure Iligan from bombers because this isour second home too."

"Iligan is where we do business, we live and we send our children toschool… so we must also make this place safe for us," he said.

"Whatever will happen in this city will also impact on the neighboringprovinces, cities and towns, so we must also work to stop violence,"he added.

Ambor said there should be no hasty generalizations that the suspectsare Maranaos or Muslims.

"If possible," he said, "name them, rather than generalize."

The Lanao Alliance on Human Rights Advocates (LAHRA) condemned thebombings in the commercial areas of the city but said this issue"should not be used to widened the gap between Muslims andChristians."

In a statement, LAHRA related the present problem of Iligan to thepresent national political crisis.

"Most of the conflicts in Mindanao happen when there are hugecontroversies in Manila such as the administration's effort to changethe constitution which could be done by all means such as via adeclaration of national state of emergency," Janel Peson of Lahra said.

"We cannot allow national politicians to make use of Mindanao as anissue for their political whims," Peson said.

Peson said the media should not forget that "for every accused, thereis due process." (Violeta M. Gloria/MindaNews)