THE local government of Lamitan, Basilan has created a Crisis Management Committee (CMC) to work out for the safe release of a school principal snatched by gunmen recently.

Chief Inspector Rolando Democrito, Lamitan police chief, said the CMC is headed by Vice Mayor Arliegh Eisma, with members coming from the different sectors, including the police and military.

Source: Sunstar Zamboanga

HOUSE Deputy Speaker for Mindanao and Zamboanga City Representative Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar is gearing up for a series of consultations with the newly-elected village officials in her district.

Salazar said the consultations, which will start after the village officials’ assumption of office on November 30, is in parallel with her thrust on participatory governance where consultation is very important.

Source: Sunstar Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA City Councilor Rogelio Valesco bewailed Monday that the country’s bootlegged tourism slogan “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” was an insult to the Filipino artists.

Valesco, who chairs the City Council committee on tourism, said the Polish-inspired branding proposed by the tourism department fell short of harnessing and employing the Filipino’s raw sense of ingenuity and a gift of creativity.

Source: Sunstar Zamboanga

A TOP official in Basilan favors the launching of rescue operations for kidnap victims instead of leaving families of the hostages paying ransom to recover their relatives.

Basilan Vice Governor Alrasheed Sakkalahul said giving in to the demands of the kidnappers would only encourage more incidents of kidnappings in the province of Basilan.

Source: Sunstar Zamboanga

THE military has strengthened security in and around Zamboanga City, including the island villages and coastal areas, an official said.

Colonel Buenaventura Pascual, chief of the military’s Task Force Zamboanga (TFZ), said the strengthening of security measures is being implemented to deter any lawless groups from slipping into Zamboanga City and commit atrocities.

Source: Sunstar Zamboanga