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[av_heading heading=’GUIMARAS ON RED ALERT | Governor presses stringent security measures’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Friday, June 23, 2017
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ILOILO City – Identification cards for all Guimarasnons. Security cameras in wharves. Dogs trained to detect explosives and illegal drugs. The island province of Guimaras is taking its security seriously and may possibly impose or do all these, and more.
Gov. Samuel Gumarin placed Guimaras on red alert status yesterday and urged his constituents to seek the help of the police, barangay, municipal or provincial authorities should they notice any suspect or unusual activities in their areas.
On Sunday in nearby Iloilo City, the Philippine Coast Guard apprehended three suspected members of the Maute terrorist group from Mindanao.
Guimaras is separated from Iloilo City by the Iloilo Strait, a narrow channel which takes about only 15 minutes to cross by motorboat.
In Executive Order No. 33 placing the province on full red alert status, Gumarin advised “the public, including governmental and non-governmental agencies…to stay calm and vigilant.”
After the Maute suspects were apprehended, Iloilo City was immediately placed under red alert status by Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog .
According to Gumarin, his red alert declaration was a proactive measure to sustain Guimaras’ peace and order status.
Municipalities were encouraged to have ordinances requiring business establishments to have video surveillance mechanisms.
The provincial government of Guimaras may also put up sentinels on island barangays and conduct security and disaster response trainings for the barangay police.
Guimaras is made up of 98 brangays in five municipalities – Jordan (the capital town), Buenavista, Nueva Valencia, San Lorenzo, and Sibunag. It had been considered insurgency-free by the Armed Forces of the Philippines since 2008 but the provincial government is not leaving anything to chance.
Also on Sunday, New People’s Army rebels raided the police station in Maasin, Iloilo.
Gumarin, the chairman of the Provincial Peace and Order Council, stressed the importance of protecting Guimaras’ economic drivers, especially agriculture and tourism, from hazards natural or man-made.
The province is basically agricultural with mangoes, palay, coconuts, livestock, poultry, and fishing as major products.
Its major industries are tourism, fruit processing, coconut processing, fish farming, handicrafts making, mining, quarrying and lime production./PN
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