CHIEF Superintendent Rolando Nana, Police Regional Office Cordillera director, called on the Regional Peace and Order Council to find ways to maintain and strengthen Sagada as a peace zone.
Nana made the call during his visit to the Mountain Province after a recent rebel attack in Sagada, a popular tourist destination.
"This is something that the Regional Peace and Order Council should look into including the Provincial and Municipal Peace and Order Councils in Mountain Province because what is affected here is the peace zone. We know for a fact that Sagada is flourishing as a tourist destination and the encounter in Sagada might affect its tourism industry," Nana said.
Sagada was declared as a peace zone in 1989. The declaration called for the total pullout of all armed groups and absence of detachments, armed encounters, carrying of arms and harassment on civilian population.
It was made after three children died - one caught in the crossfire between New People’s Army rebels and the Armed Forces of the Philippines and two shot by drunken government soldiers within the market compound of Sagada in late 1988.
"It would be a big loss for the provincial government, regional offices and the national government which have infused development in these areas only to be destroyed by unscrupulous armed groups pretending to be doing their programs here through the use of arms," Nana said.
Nana assured that the police and military will maintain presence in the area to ensure the maintenance of peace and order.
"Our mandate is for us to maintain peace and order through our security efforts because we want to maintain this area as a peace zone. The entry of our men there is to maintain Sagada as a peace zone while these groups tries to destroy the peace in that area," Nana said.
The regional top cop also assured the public the PNP will continue to secure the peace in Sagada and other tourist destinations in Mountain Province.
“I have recommended to the governor if there is a possibility for government to develop the site since there are residents there and it is also a passageway for people, and trekkers,” Nana added.