Police, military boost coordination with Muslim community in Bacolod
BACOLOD CITY – The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) and the Army 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) have strengthened their coordination with the Muslim community to combat terrorism and other forms of crimes and violence here.
Police Col. Noel Aliño, Bacolod police director, and Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, 303rd IBde commander, met Muslim leaders led by Amin Sultan of the Salaam Police Advisory Group (SPAG) at the Patnubay Hall of the BCPO headquarters on December 5, two days after the bombing at the Mindanao State University gymnasium in Marawi City that killed four people on December 3.

THE Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) and the Army 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) hold a meeting with Muslim leaders in Bacolod City on Tuesday, December 5, to strengthen partnership against terrorism, following the bombing at Mindanao State University gymnasium in Marawi City that killed four people on December 3. (Photo courtesy of BCPO)
According to the 3rd Infantry Division (ID), the meeting aimed to foster understanding and cooperation amidst security challenges, with the shared objective of safeguarding and maintaining peace and stability in Negros Island.
This is part of the joint counter-terrorism measures being implemented by security forces to prevent the occurrence of similar terror attack here and other areas in Negros Occidental, the Army said.
Edralin, in a statement, said that they are pleased with the exemplary display of trust and confidence showed by the Muslim community here to join authorities in their efforts to prevent the possible entry of terrorist groups into this city and the entire island of Negros.
He thanked them for their willingness to cooperate and to assist the authorities, especially in monitoring and preventing the entry of potential perpetrators.
Meanwhile, Major Gen. Marion Sison, 3rd ID commander, lauded the 303rd IBde and the BCPO for their initiative to reach out to Muslim leaders.
Sison, in a statement, said that this collaborative effort not only cultivates improved relationships and facilitates open communication with the Muslim communities, but most importantly, it eliminates the stigma and rectifies the misconceptions surrounding their alleged affiliations and support to potential perpetrators of terror attacks.
"With this mechanism put in place, I am more confident that potential terrorists would find a hard time to carry out terror attacks as everyone is already on their toes monitoring and looking for them,” Sison said.
Also present during the meeting was Police Lt. Col. Mark Evan Salvo, chief of the Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU).