No plan to uproot Muslims in Urdaneta City, mayor says

MANILA, Philippines -- Urdaneta City Mayor Amadeo Gregorio Perez IV has denied that he has ordered Muslim residents out of his city in Pangasinan province.

 

According to a report on radio dzBB, Perez said there is no truth to an Aug.8 report on the Manila Times that claimed he ordered Muslim residents to leave the city as part of a local campaign against illegal drugs.

 

"Hindi po totoo 'yun. Wala akong binabanggit na ganun," he said.

 

The report also mentioned that the mayor had also asked the Sangguniang Panlungsod to enact an urgent ordinance that would bar Muslims from moving to the city.

 

On Tuesday, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Mujiv Hataman responded to the reported plan, calling it "unthinkable". He said the supposed plan "would blindly uproot families from their homes rather than address the root of criminality itself."

 

READ: Hataman cautions Urdaneta City on reported plan to uproot Muslims

 

He also invited Urdaneta City officials to a dialogue on the issue.

 

Hataman added that the ARMM goverment will coordinate with the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos "to ensure that our Muslim brothers and sisters will not be treated like criminals simply because of their faith, and that they will not be treated unfairly at any point during the course of the national and local government's campaign against illegal drugs."