By Vic Larato
ZAMBOANGA CITY - Amid the recent events that threatened the safety and security of her constituents, Mayor Beng Climaco has once again unleashed a woman’s guts and valiancy in her as she minced no words in declaring to suppress all acts of terror for as long as she remains the mayor of this city.
Climaco, who earned the people’s admiration for the courage and bravery she had demonstrated at the height of the Zamboanga siege in September 2013, issued once more the stern warning against the terrorists in her State of the City Address before members of the City Council and civil society organizations last week at the Centro Latino, Paseo del Mar Complex.
“As long as I am the mayor of the city, I will do everything within my power and authority, to suppress all acts of terror and we will let the wheels of justice turn in all their speed to put an end to all these forms of violence. We will not give up. Let us have faith in Zamboanga City,” Climaco declared.
To the perpetrators of terroristic activities in the city, the latest of which was the bombing incident in Guiwan on Jan. 23 that killed two people and injured 52 others, the lady chief executive assured them in this wise: “The long arms of the law will catch up on you. We will use all our might to find you and put you all behind bars.”
“We want to bring the deaths of Reynaldo Tan and Dennis Valente (in the Guiwan bombing) and all brave women, men and children to justice,” she added, even as she but told the local legislators and all those present at the annual SOCA event that the incident “reminds us that our security forces cannot do (this) alone”.
Climaco asserted that denying terrorists of safe haven in the city and thwarting criminality and lawlessness are shared responsibilities between the authorities and the civilian populace. Thus, she appealed to the people of Zamboanga to cooperate with the authorities, to stay vigilant against suspicious people and items in their vicinities and coordinate with the authorities to stop further bloodshed, loss of lives and properties.
She likewise urged the barangay leaders to be in the forefront, rally the people in the communities not to allow criminals to thrive.
“Deploy our barangay tanod and create neighborhood watch groups,” the mayor advised the barangay officials and urged them to implement it not only when threats are imminent, “but make it part of our way of life as a community”.
Climaco also appealed to the people of Zamboanga as she addressed them to “translate your love for Zamboanga into action. Help us make this city a safer place for you and for our children.”
“As long as I am the mayor of the city, I will do everything within my power and authority, to suppress all acts of terror and we will let the wheels of justice turn in all their speed to put an end to all these forms of violence. We will not give up. Let us have faith in Zamboanga City,” Climaco declared.
To the perpetrators of terroristic activities in the city, the latest of which was the bombing incident in Guiwan on Jan. 23 that killed two people and injured 52 others, the lady chief executive assured them in this wise: “The long arms of the law will catch up on you. We will use all our might to find you and put you all behind bars.”
“We want to bring the deaths of Reynaldo Tan and Dennis Valente (in the Guiwan bombing) and all brave women, men and children to justice,” she added, even as she but told the local legislators and all those present at the annual SOCA event that the incident “reminds us that our security forces cannot do (this) alone”.
Climaco asserted that denying terrorists of safe haven in the city and thwarting criminality and lawlessness are shared responsibilities between the authorities and the civilian populace. Thus, she appealed to the people of Zamboanga to cooperate with the authorities, to stay vigilant against suspicious people and items in their vicinities and coordinate with the authorities to stop further bloodshed, loss of lives and properties.
She likewise urged the barangay leaders to be in the forefront, rally the people in the communities not to allow criminals to thrive.
“Deploy our barangay tanod and create neighborhood watch groups,” the mayor advised the barangay officials and urged them to implement it not only when threats are imminent, “but make it part of our way of life as a community”.
Climaco also appealed to the people of Zamboanga as she addressed them to “translate your love for Zamboanga into action. Help us make this city a safer place for you and for our children.”
