Zamboanga City mayor urges people: Remain united and strong amid crisis

As the crisis in Zamboanga City neared the one-week mark, Mayor Isabelle Climaco-Salazar on Saturday called on residents to stay “united and strong” amid the hardships.

While the mayor admitted the city’s economy and image had taken a beating from the crisis that stemmed from the standoff between government and Moro National Liberation Front troops, she said the people can recover from this.

“In this time of crisis, I call on all our people to remain united and strong. Our faith as a people is unshakeable. This is not an issue of religion for we have co-existed peacefully and worked harmoniously. This is an issue of people with misguided principles using arms to propel their ideology,” she said on her Facebook page.

“This conflict has shown how galvanized and united we are as a city. Together we can rise up from this climate of fear and doubt and come out better Zamboanguenos and a more peaceful Zamboanga that we all hope for,” she added.

At least 53 people had been killed in the wake of clashes between government and the MNLF since Monday.

Climaco-Salazar said the police and military “continue to safeguard our territories and our people through confidence-building measures with calibrated military actions.”

“We continue to support all their efforts and we thank them and their families for their selflessness and dedication to their duties,” she said. — VC, GMA News