General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera called the bombing in Davao as a “senseless” act during the opening of the second Sugbahan sa Dalan in Pioneer Avenue, General Santos City on Saturday, September 3. The event is part of the city’s celebration of the Tuna Festival. (Zea Io Ming C. Capistrano/davaotoday.com)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Local officials and visitors of the Tuna Festival here commiserated with the victims of the deadly blast in Davao despite the merrymaking during the second Sugbahan sa Dalan along Pioneer Avenue on Saturday evening.
During the opening program, the crowd lit candles and offered their prayers for the victims and residents in Davao City.
City Mayor Ronnel Rivera denounced the incident he described as “senseless”.
“We express our deepest sympathy to all the families who are affected,” he said.
Rivera admitted that the incident also worried the residents in General Santos City.
“I understand this incident still worry many of us in Gensan most especially that we have just opened the 18th Tuna Festival and there are a number of fun activities that you want to participate to. We would like to reiterate that we shall continue what has been slated for this year’s Tuna fest, but we want to remain vigilant,” said Rivera.
In an interview, Davao City Mayor Paolo Duterte revealed that two days after the blast in Davao killed at least 14, he received an information on a threat against Davao City and General Santos City.
But Police Regional Office 12 Public Information Officer Police Superintendent Romeo Galgo, Jr told Davao Today that they “did not receive any threat.”
“We have not received that information. However, our intelligence unit were instructed to continue in gathering information,” he said in an interview on Saturday afternoon, September 3.
He said that all police units in the region are on full alert.
“Actually during festivities it has been part of our preparations to require all city directors and chief of police to brief us in their security preparations,” he said.
However, he said that after the incident in Davao, they ordered all police directors to strengthen the security measures and put in place all units in “full alert status”.
Galgo said the PRO 12 deployed around 240 police to beef up the security forces in General Santos City for the 18th Gensan’s Tuna Festival and even after the activities.
Meanwhile, Rivera called on the public to avoid spreading “unverified news especially on security.”
He assured that the local government officials are ensuring the city’s safety.
“Let us help each other and let us unite in maintaining our peace,” he said. (davaotoday.com)
