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Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Editorials: Getting the scare
THE powerful blast that killed two people and injured some 10 others in a laundry shop in Mandaue City must have initially alarmed local hosts of the Asean Summit as December nears.
Two important events yesterday sparked worries of a terrorist hit: the opening of the 27th general assembly of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Organization (Aipo) in Cebu and the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 bombing of the World Trade Center.
It must have been a relief for some Cebu leaders that while the incident was indeed unfortunate, LPG leaking from a tank and not a bomb was its immediate cause.
But the explosion did provide Cebuanos and organizers with a closer look at what would happen in the event terrorists will be able to penetrate the security net that law enforcers have laid down for the summit.
An interesting point, for example, was the admission in a radio interview by the Mandaue police chief that while they have raised security levels in the city’s important facilities, only mobile patrols are available for areas like the blast site in Barangay Basak.
Of course, that is expected considering that it would be next to impossible for a limited force to guard all areas but it showed vulnerabilities that those who want to use scare tactics against the summit could exploit.
This is one more reminder that responsibility for the security of this very important international gathering must not be left to the police and the military but should also be shared by even the officials and residents of barangays.
Meanwhile, a positive note there is that the group formed to provide immediate assistance to victims of Asean summit-related incidents responded to the Mandaue blast and was able to assess its state of readiness.
Safety in the work place
The incident in Barangay Basak, Mandaue City should prod local government officials to again check the safety of work places even in small establishments like laundry shops.
But first, a thorough investigation must be done to determine liabilities and ensure that similar incidents won’t happen again in the future.
While it is easy to overlook the operation of establishments like laundry shops, that incident in Barangay Basak showed such failing can still end in a bigger tragedy.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (September 12, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here.
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