
MSU-IIT forms task force of concerned citizens group to combat crime in Iligan
by OPI

A Concerned Citizens’ group spearheaded by the Office of the Chancellor (OC) met yesterday, June 30, 2015 at the Institute Boardroom to discuss ways to help solve the alarming peace and order situation in Iligan City.
The spate of kidnappings of students and kidnappings and rape of young women in the recent months that included MSU-IIT students and alumni, have alarmed many Iliganons, and prompted Institute officials to initiate a meeting with concerned government agencies to execute plans to help solve these problems.

Co-conveners of the meeting, Mr. Eduardito C. Maruhom, Liaison for Industry and Protocol Officer and Dr. Christine Godinez Ortega, Acting Director of the Office of Publication and Information (OPI) believed that the citizens of Iligan must act now and prevent future kidnappings and rape of young women in Iligan.

Among those who attended the meeting to give situation reports on what has been done to solve these recent cases of kidnappings and rape, and to answer questions were: Atty. Alex Caburnay, Chief, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Iligan; Representatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) of Iligan; Representatives of the 2nd Mechanized Brigade of the Philippine Army based in Maria Cristina, Iligan City; Heads of the Faculty Union, the Academic Non-Teaching Staff (ANTEU); Association of MSU-IIT Muslim Employees, Inc. (AMEI); the Philippine Information Agency (PIA); Jaycees-Iligan (JCI); Chief of the MSU-IIT Security Office; Director of Student Affairs (DSA); Alumni Affairs Office; the KASAMA–Student Government of MSU-IIT; and, the Institute for Peace and Development of Mindanao (IPDM).

Various groups were assigned to come up with plans and strategies for concrete results towards a possible solution to the problems of peace and order in Iligan to be tackled during the next meeting. The various groups have also been assigned to survey unlighted places or those places that do not have police visibility in Iligan, assess the CCTVs distributed around the city, check hotels and drive inns, etc.
As an initial step, the MSU-IIT OPI is publishing telephone numbers from the PNP and the anti-kidnapping tips from what the Office of the Brigade Commander, 2nd Mechanized Brigade, PA presented. This will be modified soon by the group in charge of Information Dissemination:
- Avoid routine.
- Appoint a security officer within the family to keep tabs on where each member is.
- Screen and choose house help and office workers
- Instruct house help and office staff not to volunteer information which could compromise one’s safety
- Avoid a conspicuous and luxurious lifestyle.
- Make friends with neighbors
- Avoid payroll transport.
- Secure one’s home. Never open doors or gates to strangers and instruct helpers not to do so.
- Keep emergency numbers on speed dial. Memorize emergency numbers (see below).
- Beware of strangers trying to befriend house help.
- Avoid personal ads, especially on social media, such as “here at so and so restaurant with so and so friends”.
- Keep lights on outside the gate at night.
- Check house surroundings before leaving.
In case of emergencies, call:
Emergency Hotline
- 09177127411
- 09989553538
- 09175944464
- 09177205055
CCAT
- 09277324888
- 09294665777
Topics : task force crime