CEBU ARCHBISHOP JOSE PALMA (CDN FILE PHOTO)
The Cebu prelate asks the public to be understanding of the President’s decision
Concerned about the safety of all citizens, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma gave his tacit approval to the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to declare a State of National Emergency and for the holding of checkpoints by state troops in order to deter crimes.
However, he urged everyone to be vigilant to avert possible abuses by government.
“Checkpoints inconvenienced a lot of people. But let us understand the situation and recognize the good intentions of the President,” he said in an interview after he officiated the Thanksgiving Mass for the canonization of St. Teresa of Kolkata (Calcutta) at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in Cebu City yesterday.
“The state of emergency is an occasion for us to discern and determine its pros and cons. As some people say, the forces of evil have a way to fight the good. But let us try to be understanding (in what the government is doing), hoping that similar bomb attacks will not happen,” he added.
The 66-year-old prelate said he is hoping that the security measures being undertaken by the government will dissuade terrorists and other lawless elements from sowing violence in different parts of the country.
Palma said he was in Kidapawan City in North Cotabato last Tuesday for the installation of the new bishop of Kidapawan, Bishop Colin Bagaforo, and did not mind having had to pass through several checkpoints himself. The people, he stressed, should bear with them for the good and safety of everyone.
He said the Archdiocese of Cebu was saddened by the Sept. 2 bomb attack in Davao City that killed at least 14 people and wounded 67 individuals.
“We feel sad. We sympathize with the victims of the bombing and their respective families,” he added.
Both the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command (Centcom) have been placed under full alert status immediately after the explosion in Davao City.
Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, PRO-7 director, has ordered random checkpoints and sent additional policemen alongside troops from Centcom to patrol the vicinity of malls, ports, airport, markets, churches, and other crowded places.
“We should not relax. Always stay alert and vigilant,” he said.
He urged the public to immediately seek police assistance whenever they notice something unusual in their respective areas.
Taliño also urged citizens to help law enforcers avert any terror attack.
“Any place in the world can be a victim of terrorist attacks. Let’s be vigilant. I hope the bombing in Davao City will be the last,” he added.
A text message going around last weekend said the bandit group Abu Sayyaf was planning to bomb malls in Cebu.
Taliño said they were identifying the source of the circulating text message.
“We are not saying the text message was completely untrue. But please don’t panic just because of a text message you receive,” he said.
President Duterte declared a “state of lawlessness” or “state of lawless violence” following the deadly bombing in Davao City on Sept. 2 that left 14 dead and 67 others injured.
Last Tuesday, the President, before he left for Laos for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit, issued Proclamation No. 55 placing the entire country under a “ State of National Emergency” on account of the lawless violence in Mindanao and to counter terrorism and strengthen the campaign against the illegal drugs trade.
Assistant Communications Secretary Christian Ablan explained that the declaration does not strip people of their rights but merely intensify security as well as police and military action in major areas of concern.
Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, for his part, said yesterday that the declaration of a State of National Emergency was President Duterte’s way of underscoring the need for vigilance among citizenry amidst lawlessness and criminality.
He stressed that the public should not be alarmed and should instead be assured that the President is in control and is fighting lawless elements.
“It should be taken in that light. Di ta angay mahadlok. Gani magpakita tag suporta kay iya man gipakita that he is in control (We should not be scared. Instead we should show support because he is showing us that he is in control),” Labella said.
Labella likewise dismissed apprehension that it could lead to placing the country under martial law, stressing that the citizenry should not be scared for as long as the writ of habeas corpus is not suspended, warrantless arrest is not allowed, no actual declaration of the martial law is made and for as long as civilian authority is at all time supreme over the military and police.
He pointed out that a State of National Emergency will not affect the country’s judicial system, which is an insurance against warrantless arrests and the declaration of martial law.
Labella said the declaration was not an overreaction but a preventive stance on the part of the President.
“It is more of a proactive, not just reactive approach in the fight against criminality. It is the intention of the President to nip in the bud any possible acts of criminality. It’s better being over-prepared than being unprepared,” Labella said.
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, meanwhile, urged the public to stop posting or giving unofficial information that could cause panic, even amid the possibility that Cebu could be the next bombing target.
“Simbako lang tawon (God forbid) . . . (What is) important is we should be watchful and report immediately (the presence of suspicious persons) to the appropriate authorities,” Davide said.
The governor said people should stop making prank calls so as not to alarm the authorities and for the public to only heed the warnings coming from legitimate persons in authority, like the police. / WITH USJ-R INTERN DAFNE N. WENCESLAO