Biz group alarmed over robberies in Oro

THE business community in Cagayan de Oro is alarmed over the seeming laidback response of police officers regarding series of robberies and killings here by unidentified riding-in-tandem suspects.

Ralph Paguio, former president of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc. (OroChamber), said police authorities must exert extra effort to prevent, contain and solve the incidents so as not to further disrupt business activities in the city.

“We are saddened with the spate of events that caused lives and generated negative goodwill,” Paguio told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

He said: “continuance of such acts will set back all efforts of uplifting the economic condition of the city,” adding that such condition will “damage whatever goodwill they have generated.”

Police record showed that just this week, two women were killed by riding-in-tandem robbers while a man also died after he tried to help a would-be robbery victim in Barangay Nazareth.

Paguio also expressed alarm over the recent attacks by members of the New People’s Army at Del Monte Philippines and Dole in Bukidnon Tuesday night.

He said the government should continue its peace talks to resolve all concerns and reach an agreement to achieve permanent peace.

Earlier, Bukidnon Governor Alex P. Calingasan criticized the seeming lack of intelligence networking of the military and the Philippine National Police.

Calingasan said the attack in Del Monte and Dole affected the province’s eco-tourism industry, especially now that the annual month-long Kaamulan Festival has already started last Monday.

But the governor said he is hopeful the effect “will just be for a while.”