MEETING FOR PEACE. Senior Supt. Henry Biñas (center), officer-in-charge director of Bacolod City Police Office, and the chiefs of the 10 police stations meet with the leaders of the local Muslim community (left) to discuss peace-related issues at the city police headquarters on Friday afternoon (Feb. 8, 2019) (Photo courtesy of Shiela G. Gelera)
BACOLOD CITY -- The Bacolod City Police has engaged the local Muslim community in promoting peace and order in the city.
Bacolod Police OIC Director, Senior Supt. Henry Biñas, met with Muslim leaders at the Bacolod police headquarters on Friday afternoon to discuss various peace-related issues in the wake of the recent bombing incidents in Mindanao. “They agreed to cooperate with the police,” he said.
Biñas noted that both parties agreed to exchange information relevant to peace and order.
“They expressed full support to us and committed that if they have information, they will let the police know,” he added.
Imam Abulkhair Carcauga, overall imam of Muslim communities in Bacolod, said they support peace for Bacolod City “101 percent.”
“We from the Muslim community, from whatever tribe, are one with the police for peace and for the maintenance of peace and order,” he added.
Carcauga said they agreed to share information with the police if they learn of any terror threat to the city.
“We should inform them so they can immediately act on it,” he said.
Carcauga added that for now, they don’t have any actual data yet on the total population of Muslims living Bacolod.
“But there are Muslims anywhere in Bacolod. The Maranaos, who are business people, are everywhere. We live in Bacolod with our families so we also want peace in the city,” he added.
Biñas said that even the Bacolod police does not have a detailed inventory of Muslim presence in the city.
He added that they will ask the Muslim community to provide data so the police can come up with an estimate of their population. (PNA)
