BY ASANGAN T. MADALE
SAP ANTONIO LAGDAMEO JR Special Assistant of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr visits Marawi City on Friday, December 8, 2023. , as he was instructed by President Marcos to check the Mindanao State University and visit survivors of the recent bomb attack last December 3, 2023 which killed four people and wounded many of the Sunday Catholic mass attendees in the said Gymnasium , Top Military Officials said.
At about 11:00 Am of December 8 ,2023 Antonio Ernesto “Anton” F. Lagdameo, Special Assistant to the President arrived at Headquarters ,103rd Infantry (Haribon ) Brigade ,1ID, PA to conduct his ocular inspection at Dimaporo Gymnasium, MSU, Marawi City and to visit survivors being hospitalized at MSU Infirmary Hospital and Amai Pakpak Medical Center.
SAP Lagdameo Jr. was met by LT GEN William Gonzales, Commander ,Western Mindanao Command ,MAJ GEN GABRIEL VIRAY III, Commander ,1ID,PA BGEN YEGOR REY BARROQUILLO JR, Commander ,103rd Infantry (Haribon) Brigade, 1ID PA, COL BILLY O DELA ROSA, Deputy Brigade Commander ,103rd Infantry Brigade, ROBERT S. DACULAN, PD LDSPP and subsequently accompanied by to the blast site at Dimaporo Gymnasium and Amai Pakpak Medical Center with Lanao del sur Governor MAMINTAL “BOMBIT” ALONTO
JR. Former Secretary of the DAR Sultan Nasser Pangandaman accompanied SAP Lagdameo Jr and his party to show to the people of the province that under administration of President
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos will continue to establish enhance and ensure peace and development what his late father former President Ferdinand E. Marcos have done to improve the living condition of his Muslim brothers and sisters.
SAP Lagdameo Jr. proceeded to MSU Dimaporo Gymnasium where the blast happened where he was met by the University officials led by Dr. Rasid Paca, Executive Vice President of the MSU main campus & Officer-in-Charge and Presidential Management Staff Director Atty Rasid Pandi. During the briefing Dr. Paca told Lagdameo Jr. that the University did not remiss its
responsibility of providing security to the constituents of MSU. In fact, we have immediately responded to the incident. Right after the incident, we found many of our security (personnel) there. They were the ones carrying the victims to the car for immediate transportation to the Amai Pakpak Medical Center for immediate treatment,
Paca emphasizes that the base formula for this incident is the immediate normalization of the environment, one of the solutions is the resumption of the classes upon recommendation of our Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, if they can give an assurance that the environment of the university is already safe for our students, Paca said during the briefing.
After the briefing , MSU Presidential Management Staff Atty Rasid Pandi told Lagdameo Jr what measures can implement (e.g. outpost in the entrances and exists, possible fencing of certain areas or campus and he supported us in principle, but stated saying “I will say what I can do to help the University by giving my strong recommendation to Presidednt Marcos.
However, Paca told Lagdameo Jr. that it is important that we continue fencing the perimeter infact the first fencing was already done and it is timely to request the National government to continue funding the fencing if and of the University especially the more than 300 hectare academic zone of the University.
Due to the nature of our environment ,it is highly recommended to legally allow our security force to carry firearms to deter entry of criminals.
We also lauded the efforts of the Philippine National Police in deploying twenty-two (22) policemen (Hijab Patrollers to MSU campus in the morning of December 5 to visit and talk with the
students by conducting counseling to ease their fear in the recent bombing incident roam around the campus conducting among faculty , students and residents to foster their unity among
Muslim and Christians to fight the evil of terrorism and supervision the rally staged by the students in front of Dimaporo Gymnasium in condemnation of the attack.
After the briefing in the blast site, Dimaporo Gymnasium, Lagdameo Jr. accompanied by Dr. Paca and Governor Mamintal “Bombit” Adiong Jr. with top Military officials went to the University Infirmary where 13 survivors on December 3 incident are treated and cared for recovery. Lagdameo also proceeded to Amai Pakpak Medical Center where 7 survivors were hospitalized also receive financial assistant . One survivor was also brought to Mercy Hospital in Iligan City.
Meantime, as earlier mentioned by MSU System President Atty Basari D. Mapupuno in his memo issued on thursday reopening of classes on December 11, 2023 (today Monday) will take place in the main campus after students have returned to the campus since last week with heightened security.
The University was supposed to conduct final examination this month to end the semester before the explosion incident Mapupuno said earlier that MSU administration would provide special accommodation to the blast survivors .
Mapupuno said “Recognizing the emotional impact of the recent incident , the University will continually provide readily available mental health and psychosocial support services to all students and faculty.
Based on their update students statistics as of December 7, No of students who went home outside Marawi and Lanao del sur is 37.23% of the students residing outside Lanao del sur, 13.11% off the overall number of enrollees for AY 2023-24 with 14, 955 on data base from the MSU-incident Command Center
PRO BAR Regional Director Allan Nobleza conducted field visit to PNP personnel deployed at Marawi City to ensure security of the populace in preparation opening of MSU main campus
classes on December. 11, In addition to this moved, Nobleza also conducted a coordination meeting with the NBI to update the investigation of MSU bombing last December 3 that claimed four lives dead and wounding more than 40 persons.
Since the other day second round of sweeping operations and currently are being conducted around main campus using K-9, as part of the ongoing commitment by PNP and military authorities to maintaining safe and secure learning and working environment.
Mindanao State University Main Campus – Marawi — The President of the MSU System Atty. Basari D. Mapupuno conducted a meeting with MSU officials and with the special participation of Gen. Ricardo F. de Leon who is the current director of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency of the Philippines, together with former Vice President Romeo Magsalos, PNP Army and AFP to assist MSU in dealing with the December 3 incident and help bring MSU to normalcy.
De leon informed the men in uniform that they are here to stabilize the campus by showing respect to culture and people. He emphasized how important the security of everyone is.
Meanwhile, Atty. Zed Abantas, the BOR Secretary, pointed out the need for a more consistent security in the campus. Further, VP Magsalos re emphasized that MSU has a different touch on students. “The MSU sense of family is high and the culture of kind treatment among cultural groups is still observed,” Magsalos added.
On a significant note, the Dean of the college of SPEAR, Prof. Hendely Adlawan, who is one of the respected Catholic leaders of the campus, thanked the Meranaw community for protecting them yesterday and assisting the Catholic victims to Amai Pakpak Medical Center.
The meeting with them was concluded with President Mapupuno ‘s appreciation of their expression of support to the Pamantasang Mindanao.
