COMMISSION on Higher Education Chairperson Prospero De Vera yesterday urged universities and colleges nationwide to review and strengthen their security measures in the wake of Sunday’s bombing at the Mindanao State University-Marawi City campus that left four dead and 50 injured.
De Vera, who condemned the deadly blast in a statement he issued late Sunday night, said higher education institutions (HEIs) need to upgrade their security measures to ensure the safety of their students, faculty and non-teaching staff.
“As the Chairman of the Mindanao State University Board of Regents, I will ensure that the university policies will be reviewed to make sure safety and security measures are added so that this horrific event will not be repeated,” De Vera said.
“As CHED Chairman, I urge the board of other HEIs to do the same. Violence has no place in a civilized society, particularly in an institution of higher learning,” he added.
He also called on law enforcement authorities to “ensure security and protection” for all to prevent a repeat of the MSU incident.
De Vera also promised the CHED’s assistance to the victims of the MSU blast, including the provision of psychosocial counseling.
“We will work with the MSU President and officials in providing necessary counseling and support to the affected individuals, particularly the staff and students of the university,” De Vera said.
Marawi City was the scene of more than five months of fighting in 2017 between government troops and members of the ISIS-linked Maute terrorist group who attacked the city to try to establish an Islamic caliphate.
President Marcos Jr. has vowed to bring to justice the perpetrators of the deadly bombing that he described as “foreign terrorists.”
He also instructed the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to ensure the safety and protection of civilians and vulnerable communities.
SOLDIERS DEPLOYED
Two companies of soldiers and policemen were deployed at the Mindanao State University (MSU) to beef up security.
Lt. Gen. William Gonzales, commander of the AFP Western Mindanao Command, said one company of soldiers (about 120 men) was sent to the school so the people there would feel safe.
“Just to mitigate the effect of bombing, particularly at MSU and to the people there who are affected there, the victims, we (deployed) one company of infantry (soldiers) just to secure the area,” said Gonzales.
Gonzales said the troops were deployed to the school “so the people there will feel secure.
“That is our initial action, we deployed troops there. They will be there indefinitely until such time that we can perhaps create, of course in coordination with the MSU, a long-term integrated, passive and active security system,” said Gonzales.
Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza, director of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said a company of policemen was also deployed at the MSU.
“One company is now there at MSU. We closely coordinated with the security department of MSU so we can deploy them effectively,” said Nobleza.
Nobleza said they have identified 11 “strategic locations” inside the campus where the policemen would be deployed.
“We are closely coordinating with the security department of MSU and AFP,” said Nobleza.
BORDER SECURITY
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros urged authorities to enhance the country’s border security to ensure that those responsible for the bombing in Marawi City last Sunday “will not escape prosecution.”
“Since foreign terrorists are allegedly involved in the bombing, we must enhance our border security and ensure that the culprits will not escape prosecution and that they will have no chance to ruin more lives,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
She also called on law enforcement agencies to tighten security in schools and other places of public convergence to avert any similar incidents this holiday season.
“Our schools and universities serve as a second home, not just for students but also for the community at large. We must do all we can to ensure that places of learning continue to be safe spaces for all — where people learn, express, worship and love freely,” she added.
“There can be no justification for this act of pure evil and hate. I join the whole country in extending sympathies to the victims of this terror bombing in Mindanao State University — Marawi City, and to exact justice from the Islamic State behind this act against innocent civilians,” Hontiveros said.
She called on the public to continue to trust law enforcement agencies in arresting all those responsible for the attack.
“Make no mistake – this attack is meant to sow division and distrust among Filipinos. Our unity, our solidarity, and our love for each other will defeat this act of terror. I am confident that in the end, peace and progress will prevail,” she added.
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa said the failure of intelligence can also mean that security forces have not monitored the planned bombing.
“There could have been failure of intelligence because they were not able to monitor (the planned bombing),” he said.
Dela Rosa, however, said it is unfair to hold the security forces accountable for what happened since determined terrorists will find the right opportunity to carry out their terroristic acts no matter how tight the security is.
“There is no need for finger-pointing here. All we need is unity. When it comes to terrorism, it is not targeting a particular society,” he said.
STARK REMINDER
Speaker Martin Romualdez said the House of Representatives “is fully committed to supporting the affected residents and ensuring that those responsible for this heinous act are brought to justice.
“We stand ready to provide the necessary assistance to aid in the recovery and healing of the community,” said the Speaker, who extended his “deepest sympathies to the victims of the heartbreaking incident at Mindanao State University.”
Romualdez said the act of violence, which has led to the loss of lives and injury of many, particularly students, “is a stark reminder of the challenges we face in ensuring peace and security in our communities.
“As we await the results of the ongoing investigation, I appeal to everyone for calm and sobriety,” he said. “This tragic event, occurring in a place of learning and fellowship, is deeply troubling. We must work together to maintain peace and prevent such incidents from derailing the peace process in Mindanao.”
He said the House of Representatives will closely monitor the situation and coordinate with relevant agencies to ensure a swift and just response, adding that the government “will take all necessary steps to deal with any form of sabotage against the peace and safety of our people decisively.”
In a privilege speech, Lanao del Sur Rep. Ziaur-Rahman Alonto Adiong urged the House, through the committees on national defense and security and higher and technical education, “to review MSU’s charter, current security plans and policies, and all the relevant laws affecting the peace and order situation of MSU-Marawi City.
“It is essential to be cognizant of the sheer size of the campus and the unique situation of MSU as the premier state university of the region. In recognizing the complexity and difficulty of this issue let us spare no effort to assist MSU. How may we, through the tools available to us, improve MSU’s capability to prevent such tragedies from ever occurring again? We are presented with a necessity, the safeguarding of the stability of a region, and it is my firm belief that together as one house of representatives, we shall meet and exceed that call,” he said.
Adiong said the preservation of the Christian-Muslim relationship “is not just an aspiration; it is a responsibility that falls upon each of us.” “It is a commitment to understanding, respect, and appreciation for the unique cultural and religious backgrounds that shape the identity of our fellow citizens,” he said.
“In the face of this tragedy, we must reaffirm our dedication to fostering an atmosphere of peace, acceptance, and cooperation within the hallowed halls of Mindanao State University.
It is for all these reasons that I call on the House Leadership, through the committees for National Defense, and Higher and Technical Education to leverage all of the powers of the House of the People to address this grave and perennial problem. The Mindanao State University is a chartered institution that offers distinct challenges and opportunities. Let us hurdle every challenge and explore every opportunity,” he said.
In a chance interview, Adiong advised President Marcos Jr. against declaring martial law following the bombing: “No, no we should not. Okay, I think we should not resort to that.
“We do not want to cause unnecessary panic. The more we panic, it’s a sign that we’re not in control of everything. So it should be the opposite,” he told reporters.
What needs to be done based on the government’s experience after the Marawi siege, Adiong said, is “to win the people’s support, we need to win sympathies.
“By doing so, we do not only resort to military effort, we also need to invest more on the civilian defense scheme, or civilian defense intervention,” he said.
MARAWI REHAB
Marawi City was the battleground of more than five months of fighting in 2017 between government troops and members of the ISIS-linked Maute terrorist group who attacked the city to try to establish an Islamic caliphate.
The government has already begun the process of compensating the victims of the siege through the Marawi Compensation Program (MCP) under Republic Act No. 11696 or the “Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2022.
Task Force Bangon Marawi field office manager Felix Castro, Jr., the assistant secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, told the House Ad Hoc Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation and Victims Compensation that informal settlers have been occupying two National Housing Authority projects in Marawi — the Pamayandeg Ranaw Residences Phase 1 and 2 in Barangay Kilala and Pamayandeg Ranaw Residences Phase 3 and 4 in Barangay Gadongan.
“We are encouraging the LGU that the finished units be immediately turned over to selected beneficiaries so that informal settlers won’t get in the way,” Castro told the Ad Hoc panel.
He said Pamayandeg Ranaw Residences Phase 1 and 2 in Brgy. Kilala, which is expected to be completed this month, only reached a 74.88 percent accomplishment rate in terms of land development and a 79.88 percent accomplishment rate while the Pamayandeg Ranaw Residences Phase 3 and 4 in Barangay Gadongan, which is also expected to be completed this month, had a land development accomplishment rate of 93.18 percent and a housing construction accomplishment rate at 80.01 percent.
Castro said worse is the case of the Marawi Shelter Project Phase 3 (Norsalam Village) in Barangay Patani since the project construction was halted because the state-run Social Housing and Finance Corporation (SHFC) failed to pay lot dues to the private landowner.
Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman, the former governor of the now defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), earlier said he has secured a commitment from the Department of Budget and Management that the P1 billion Marawi Compensation Fund would be increased to P5 billion under the P5.768 trillion proposed budget for 2024.
CALLS FOR PRAYER
The Prelature of Marawi has asked the faithful to offer their prayers for the victims and their families.
In a statement late Sunday, the Prelature of Marawi said they are asking for prayers after the heart-breaking incident that claimed at least four lives and left at least 50 injured.
“The incident that happened this morning was merciless and heart-breaking. Despite this, we remain steadfast and hopeful in our faith in the Risen Christ that may justice and peace flow here in our prelature. In Him, we surrender all of the things that have happened for He is the Author of life,” said the Marawi prelature.
“We are humbly asking for your prayers for the souls, who died this morning; their families, who were devastated by this cruel tragedy; and the clergy and religious of the Prelature of Marawi that God may inspire our hearts to persevere in the trials and difficulties that this life has brought to us right now,” it added.
In a separate statement, Bangsamoro Council of Leaders member Cardinal Orlando Quevedo described the incident as both “terrible” and “damnable.”
He compared the Marawi incident to the bombing incident in Jolo, Sulu in 2020 wherein 14 people were killed and 75 others were wounded.
“Perpetrated on the 1st Sunday of Advent, a season of hope, and at the beginning of the Mindanao Week of Peace, the massacre is the most terrible and most damnable terroristic crime against innocent worshippers on a Christian holy day,” said Quevedo.
“It is a tragic re-enactment of the insane bombing in the Jolo Cathedral during Sunday Mass several years ago,” he added. — With Victor Reyes, Raymond Africa, Wendell Vigilia and Gerard Naval
