Beng debunks blogger’s perception about Zambo

ZAMBOANGA CITY (ZNS) -  Mayor Beng Climaco debunked yesterday the claim of a blogger that Zamboanga City is one of top 10 dangerous places in the world that tourist should stay away even as she stressed that she always respects the freedom of the press.

“However, with that responsibility comes great responsibility of the writers, specifically the effects of the blog on us more than 900,000 Zamboangueños,” Mayor Climaco said during her weekly press briefing in City Hall yesterday morning.

Nonetheless, the lady chief executive said the blog by a certain Tessa Riley serves as a challenge for the city government and its people to prove the blogger wrong.

 “We should take a massive and proactive stand in proving that what was stated was false,” Climaco said as she cited other cities in other countries that are by far most dangerous to visit like Syria and Afghanistan for instance which to this date are at war.

Recalled, Riley’s blog titled “Stay Away: Top Dangerous Cities to Avoid (for now)” drew various reactions from Zamboangueños and netizens or Internet and social media enthusiasts, including members of the City Council.

Riley blogged that “Zamboanga City has been the center of a battle between the Republic of the Phils (RP) and the MNLF since Sept 2013,” thus giving the misimpression that the siege continues to the present.

The city police director Sr. Supt. Angelito Casimiro, meanwhile, also downplayed the blogger’s statement and even challenged Riley to come to Zamboanga for her to see how peaceful the city is contrary to her perception. Task Force Zamboanga Commander Col. Andrelino Colina for his part described the article as the funniest article about Zamboanga. (Vic Larato) (110414)