The Philippine National Police Acting Provincial Director of Negros Oriental on Friday assured that the planned holding of a Muslim religious activity or johore in Dauin town this month is not a security threat.
Sr. Supt. Edwin Portento on Friday announced that the Negros Oriental PNP Provincial Office is working out a security plan for the johore although the final approval will have to come from the local government unit of Dauin.
According to Sr. Supt. Portento, the PNP does not have “the power to prevent anyone from holding any religious activity although they have yet to see a final paper (of approval)”.
This comes as one of the Muslim leaders here, Sultan Tati, told him that Dauin Mayor Neil Credo had verbally approved the staging of the johore, Portento disclosed.
However, according to the acting provincial police director, he still has to see an approval of the activity in writing.
Nevertheless, whether the planned johore will push ahead or not, the NORPPO is ready to address the security requirements.
Questions had earlier surfaced as regards security because the johore, scheduled on Oct. 22 and 23, coincides with the Buglasan Festival as well as other activities set for this month, but Portento assured that he has enough personnel to deploy.
Also, the Task Force Leon Kilat, which comprises other security units such as the Philippine Army, the Philippine Navy and the Coast Guard, among others, is also providing support for the security detail with the PNP taking the lead, he explained.
Earlier, the Negros Oriental Federation of Muslim Communities in Negros Oriental had met with Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo for coordination purposes, as this capital city will be the entry point of the johore delegates.
Mayor Remollo had announced then that the johore might have to be postponed to another date because of the many activities already lined up in October and the security forces would have a hard time securing the participants.
At the time, the number of Muslim missionaries expected to attend the johore in Dauin was pegged at around 1,000.
But according to Sr. Supt. Portento, Sultan Tati had informed him that the number has dropped to between 200 to 300 delegates because other johores will be held elsewhere. Besides, those attending the religious activity will have to shoulder their own fare.
Sr. Supt. Portento confirmed that the Muslim religious leaders will be confined to the johore venue, which is a private property owned by Sultan Tati in Dauin.
Portento is confident that the johore will not pose a threat to security here because, according to him, he believes these Muslim religious leaders will not do anything that would mar the peace and order in the province.
Also, the PNP will be provided with a list of the names of the johore participants, Portento said.
Finally, the johore organizers have invited leaders and representatives from other religious organizations to attend the activity so they can see for themselves what is taking place and for the non-Muslims to have a personal understanding of Islam and the activity itself, he added. (With reports from Judy Flores Partlow/PNA)