‘Spare Cagayan de Oro from attacks’

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Spare this booming city.

Thus pleaded Mayor Vicente Emano to terrorists behind the bombings in Zamboanga City.

"I plead with you not to bomb the city and disturb our relative peace and order condition here. Cagayan de Oro is for every Mindanaoan, whatever your political affiliation and religious beliefs are," he said in a vernacular during a radio interview.

He stressed though that every Cagayanon should be vigilant to thwart any attack.

Emano, meanwhile, corrected his earlier claim that four Zamboanga City bombers were "relaxing" here and in the Misamis Oriental town of Tago—loan, where his son, Yevgeny Vicente, is mayor.

He said this was confirmed but he declined to reveal his sources and give details on the suspects’ identities.

Emano also revealed that Cagayan de Oro was on the terrorists’ list of targets.

The younger Emano said he learned from his father that one of the Zamboanga City bombers was "relaxing" in his own municipality.

But he said, "There were no intelligence reports that the suspect is hiding in our town."

But Misamis Oriental Gov. Antonio Calingin said the elder Emano’s revelation could be true, especially since a Muslim community in Tagoloan is known to be a refuge for fugitives.