NEGROS ORIENTAL, April 12 (PIA) — Negros Oriental Governor Roel Ragay Degamo has directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to meet with various communities and local authorities in the province.

According to Provincial Information Officer Adrian Sedillo, the governor, in a meeting with joint task groups on security, asked the PNP and the DILG to meet with leaders of the various groups such as the Muslim community, the religious organizations and force multipliers, among others, to discuss their roles in the government’s efforts against various security threats in the province.

Sedilo said the governor also asked the PNP and DILG to meet with local government authorities to check on their security preparations to ensure that everybody is on the same page when it comes to fighting against criminality.

“We need to strengthen our frontliners through our local authorities and force multipliers because they are the ones on the ground and they are the ones who can immediately sense any unusual activity in their localities,” Degamo said.

The governor said the participation of the various communities, particularly the Muslim community, is important as the government needs its help in the fight against security threats.

He believes the Muslim community can greatly contribute in this endeavour as they are familiar with how these elements from Mindanao speak and act, among others.

Sedillo said the governor is confident of the support of the Muslim community toward this end since he had already tried working with them in the past endeavours of the provincial government particularly on security matters.

“I continue to trust our government security forces but we need the help of the various sectors, the organizations and institutions for a more comprehensive approach,” Degamo said.

Earlier, Degamo said security measures should be given utmost priority since a single incident would affect the tourism industry not only in the province but in the entire Visayas region.

The governor warned he will not hesitate to be an adversary of these groups in the event they are found to be in cohorts with criminal elements. (jct/PIA7-Negros Oriental with report from Adrian Sedillo, PIO)