BAGUIO CITY — The Baguio City Police is seeking the vigilance and cooperation of night market vendors in the city to ward off the threat of terrorism in this mountain resort city.
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Thursday, Baguio Police Director Senior Supt. Ramil Saculles noted that terrorism continues to be a threat worldwide, and is not making the city less vulnerable.
Baguio’s night market, where most of the sellers are Muslims, has been seen as a target for terrorists, since it attracts a thick crowd — hundreds of locals and tourists shopping for souvenirs and even second-hand items.
The night market has attained prominence among tourists, who view it as a must-go-to place in the City of Pines. Trade starts at 9 p.m. and lasts until about 2 a.m.
The nightly activity goes on the northbound side of Harrison Road, beside the Melvin Jones football grounds.
“Please, all I am asking of you is your cooperation and vigilance,” Saculles told the traders. “Just inform us of any suspicious activity. It takes months or years to build a terrorist fortress. Let’s not sleep with the enemy like what happened in Marawi.”
The chief city cop, however, commended the Muslim community in the city for being “cooperative so far” in policing their ranks.
Saculles said the security measure, as well as the cooperation of all the vendors, should be “unrelenting and sustained without any room for complacency”.
He said he had reiterated to the vendors that their cooperation is foremost, as everyone suffers in case of untoward incidents.
He added that the Baguio City Police has been devoting a big security force to the night market to avoid an incident similar to the bombing at the night market in Davao City, which was allegedly pulled off by Islamic extremists in 2016.
“This big force could have been used in other security concerns like akyat-bahay (burglary) and other crimes, but we are doing this to protect the night market and those who visit the place,” Saculles pointed out. (Liza Agoot/PNA)
