Addressing concerns on the local campaign against terror (A proposal)

Combating terrorism isn’t just about educating our people to be aware on what are the different kinds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that can be made to hurt any possible victims. It is also engaging all institutions and communities to take part in a dialogue on security and relations.
This is because terror doesn’t seek only to produce victims but is also intended to paralyze the economy, silence our political structures, ruin our communal relationships by sowing dissension and distrust, and weaken our governance. The impact is extensive and damage is far-reaching. This is what we sought to prevent, given our sad experiences last year.
Terrorism is open for all possible interpretation, specially its motives or intents. But whether it’s addressed for a specific agenda or not, peace advocates would rather prefer dialogical approaches in solving disagreements or in addressing political concerns. Besides, the human being’s natural approach to life is’ to talk’ rather than ‘to kill.’ The former can convince; the latter can dissuade.
Ergo, it can’t be said that terrorism can be addressed by complicating it further with politician’s dynamisms or by making hierarchical structure that loses foresight on the relevance of inclusivity and engagement of all institutions necessary for peace-building and peacemaking.
For sometime, we thought of intensifying cohesiveness, flexibility and interconnectedness in our advocacies. For only then that there is holistic participation of all institutions and community could we say that “we are indeed enjoying shared empowerment to protect our lives and properties.”
It is in this context that we propose a cohesive structure on how we would further enhance our peace-building initiatives in our city.



1. The institutions that should be engaged in this drive are the local government unit, AFP, PNP, Civil Society, Church/Masjid, and the Barangay.
2. Each of this office must have a decisive representative who would regularly meet, make coordination, decide on critical issues and concerns and sustain the campaign for ‘security and peacebuilding.’
3. They will have equal power and voting capacity. This body composed of representatives from these mentioned institutions will form part as the decision-making body relating to security/campaign against terror. It will make the blueprint or action plan for peacebuilding.They will decide consensually without disregard to their original mandates as an office.
4. All decisions consensually agreed will be enforced to all 44 barangays of the city, or depending on the number of barangays in the level of municipality.
5. There will be periodic assessment for all action plan and formulation of recommendations to improve the campaign.

These are just recommendations. Do not limit with these enumerated points because we know that there are other standards too that can be used as gauges. At least, what we thought of this is that its kind'a workable for all.