DUMAGUETE CITY (PNA) – Various sectors of the community here hailed President Arroyo for lifting the national state of emergency on Friday as they appealed to the opposition and administration to work together.
Msgr. Merlin Logronio, parish priest of Bacong in Oriental Negros and head of the St. Maria Goretti Foundation, said "definitely this is very good, if only it means to ease the tension between the opposition group and the administration, so much so that they could start working together."
Msgr. Logronio added the lifting of the state of emergency could just be a temporary stand-off for the opposition who would be "playing with time" and continue to rally against government.
The church official said it is time for both sides to reflect on what is really best for the people instead of exploiting issues at the expense of the general public.
Fr. Julius Heruela, parish priest of Junob in Dumaguete City, on the other hand, said that "we need to be vigilant" despite the lifting of the measure, noting that it does not mean it would put an end to the political squabbling in Metro Manila.
Gov. George Arnaiz, for his part, said he believes that the situation in Manila in the past week has become stable enough for the President to lift the national state of emergency.
"With the lifting of that order, the opposition should have no more reason to cry foul," Arnaiz said.
The governor said people are tired and want to move on with and improve their lives and marching in the streets would not solve the issues besetting the country.
Alex Pal, president of the Dumaguete Press Club, said he hopes that "the political condition in the country would start to stabilize" following the lifting of Presidential Proclamation 1017 (PP 1017).
The Philippine National Police in Oriental Negros, on the other hand, has remained on red alert despite the lifting of PP 1017.
PNP Provincial Director Sr. Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe said this is because intelligence reports received by his office show that the security situation in the province is being threatened by communist rebels.
Buenafe disclosed that based on intelligence reports, the New People’s Army are planning to launch hostile attacks and carry out various forms of atrocities in the province.
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