BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) commended the leaders of the Muslim community for their adherence to the call of police and local officials for them to police their own ranks to prevent the overflow of the Marawi crisis to any part of the country, saying that even concerned Muslim residents have obliged to the said call from local leaders.
Senior Superintendent Ramil L. Saculles, BCPO City Director, said apart from the Muslim leaders who have adhered to the call for cooperation and the policing of their own ranks, several Muslims whose middle name is Maute already voluntarily submitted themselves to the police and provided them with their credentials and appropriate identities.
He revealed two of the Muslims whose middle names is Maute have been residents of the city since 1995 while the other graduated in one of the schools in the city in 2006.
“We learned that those who reported to us came from other areas in Mindanao and that they are not connected with the Mautes from Butig, Lanao del Sur. We appreciate the efforts of the said individuals to voluntarily submit themselves to the police and provide us information about themselves,” Saculles stressed.
The BCPO chief reiterated the appeal of police and local officials for residents to be vigilant about what is happening in their neighbourhood so that they could immediately report to concerned authorities doubtful activities of suspicious-looking individuals right in their midst so that it could be subjected to evaluation and validation by the police to avert whatever untoward incidents that could compromise the peace and order situation in the city.
He claimed the local police force remains to be on top of the situation as it continues to closely monitor the alleged influx of Muslims in the city following reports of the exodus of Muslims from Marawi who are affected by the month-long crisis to other parts of the country.
The police official underscored the city’s police force will continue to implement pre-emptive measures that will help deter untoward incidents that may compromise the peace and order situation in the city as it is best to enforce the preventive measures rather than wait for the time that lawless elements will wreak havoc in the city.
According to him, what is important is that leaders of the Muslim community in the city are closely working with the local police force in monitoring movements of other Muslims from Mindanao and other parts of the country wanting to relocate in Baguio City to validate identities for possible linkages to the Maute terrorist group that is responsible for the failed Marawi siege.
Earlier, Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan urged officers of Baguio’s finest to closely work with the leaders of the Muslim community in the city to check on the identities of their brothers from Mindanao who want to relocate to the city so that they can be appropriately profiled to avoid compromising the city’s peace and order situation.
By Dexter A. See
