CAGAYAN de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno released a statement on Saturday echoing the concern of many Kagay-anons for the people of Davao City, victims of a terror attack Friday evening that killed 14 and wounded 67 others.
“Many Kagay-anons are in Davao, and many Davaoenos are in CDO (Cagayan de Oro). We are equally affected,” Moreno said.
“The people of Cagayan de Oro condoles with the victims and their families and hopes to appease the pain that they are going through now and we also pray for the injured that they will recover soon from this very condemnable and vicious act of violence,” Moreno said.
Moreno also called on the public to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of a "state of lawlessness", noting that the President, as the Commander-in-Chief, has the Constitutional basis in calling out the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to prevent and suppress all forms of lawless violence.
Moreno, however, said that even with the declaration, the Constitutional guarantees regarding the Bill of Rights “will have to be respected still.”
Moreno also called for heightened security arrangements not only for Cagayan de Oro City but the entire Mindanao Island as well.
“The City Government of Cagayan de Oro is closely coordinating with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and all law enforcement agencies in order to put in place security measures,” he said.
Moreno said he has coordinated with the DILG for a meeting of all security forces in the city Monday morning.
He said the meeting is to give updates on the movement of the police and army soldiers as a result of Duterte's declaration.
"Of course, kinahanglan pud nga closely coordinated labina kay naa ra ta sa Mindanao, we have to be very careful and make sure na walay spill. Ang PNP, Army, and other security forces, including NBI, intelligence forces, all of these agencies must closely coordinate with each other," he said.
Moreno also advised the public to refrain from wearing caps, shades, backpacks and to report any suspicious-looking character.
Moreno said he has also directed the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) to be on their toes to respond to all emergencies.
For emergencies, the public may contact the CDRRMO hotline, 857-4144.
A bomb similarly ripped through a crowded, upscale bar in Cagayan de Oro City on July 26, 2013, also a Friday.
The blast killed eight people and wounded over 40 others.
Investigators later discovered fragments from an 81mm mortar at the blast site.