A day after Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada ordered police to tighten security in Manila in light of the crisis in Marawi City, Muslim leaders in Quiapo on Thursday expressed their unwavering support in helping the city government prevent a spillover of violence in the capital city.
Grand Imam Solaiman Sarangani of the Quiapo Muslim community said both Muslims and Christians should do their part in preserving peace and order, not only in the city but also in the entire nation.
“We must help each other in monitoring, whether Christian or Muslim, so we will remain peaceful,” Sarangani said.
In response, Estrada said he has never doubted the sincerity of the peace-loving Muslim people of Manila.
“The city government welcomes the cooperation and support of our Muslim brothers and sisters. In times like this, we have to work together to fight extremism and violence,” Estrada said.
As agreed during a consultative meeting with city and police officials last week, Sarangani said community leaders and volunteer residents have been working hand-in-hand with the Palanca police station in securing Quiapo, where two bomb blasts killed two people and injured 20 more earlier this month.
“We will continue to cooperate with the city government and police. Yes, we are on duty everyday together with the barangay tanods and police,” said Sarangani.
The Federation of Muslim Students Association-Manila also committed to support the Estrada administration in pursuing peace in the light of the situation in Marawi.
“We want to become part of the solution and not part of the problem. Islam is not just a religion but a complete way of life,” the group’s president Alnajib Maujon said.
As young Muslim professionals, Maujon said the group’s “commitment to peace is to strive for holistic peace and development by way of education, because Muslim professionals are proactive catalysts for change.”
“The Muslim youth sector are peace advocates who can help a lot in enjoining good and forbidding evil, which begins in the heart,” Maujon stressed.
On Wednesday, Estrada directed local police to double its security deployment around the capital city in the event terrorists plan to attack Manila.
Estrada specifically tasked the 4,600-strong Manila Police District to put up checkpoints and increase patrols around Malacañan Palace and other government centers and vital installations in the city that could be targeted by Islamist militants.
Estrada directed MPD director Chief Supt. Joel Coronel to use all the MPD’s available assets “to preserve peace and order and thwart any attempts by lawless elements to sow terror and chaos” in this city of 1.7 million people.
Coronel said they have ringed the grounds of Malacañang with security checkpoints and 24/7 foot and mobile patrols in coordination with the Presidential Security Group.
“We are on full alert to prevent the incident from Marawi City to spill over in Metro Manila. There could be diversionary actions so we have to prepare for it,” the MPD chief pointed out.
From 452 armed cops deployed to secure the observance of the holy month of Ramadan, which starts this Saturday, Coronel said the MPD has added 300 more police for the overall security of Manila.
Anti-riot policemen have also been stationed at the US Embassy in Roxas Boulevard and at the Supreme Court in Ermita to counter possible mass actions by militant organizations, he added.