The results of the national licensure examination for lawyers came out last week on the heels of the bombing of the Mindanao State University gymnasium while Catholics were observing a religious ritual, killing at least four and injuring scores of people. There was subdued jubilation in the community because of the tragedy. And following the exemplary performance of MSU bar takers in the recent past, this year was no different. The honor reaped with the superb performance of the academic institution keeps pouring in. Why juxtapose these two events? What is the nexus, if any?

The university is not your run-of-the-mill institution of higher learning. It has produced great talents that have contributed to nation-building. Its products are some of the prominent members of the Bar and bench. Topnotch doctors in various hospitals nationwide, engineers, accountants, foresters, and professionals in other fields graduated from the "Dakilang Pamantasan ng Mindanao." In fact, the university gained prominence after students from all over the country came to study. Its most attractive come-on is its high standard of education. Under its belt are topnotchers of various licensure examinations.

In other words, the first beneficiaries of the high standard of education, the honor and prominence that the university has achieved are the residents of Marawi City. Residents beam with pride having the university in their midst. For this reason, the moral responsibility to secure and protect it from destabilization and inroads of foreign ideologies weighs heavily on their shoulders. 

The towns abutting MSU should guard the university from any threats of attack. While the protection of the academic community's students, faculty, and residents lies primarily with the university security force, it cannot do it alone. It must be reinforced by government security forces like the PNP and AFP, including the security units of the local government and the city, who are trained in intelligence gathering and foiling destabilization. If what the government is saying is true, they face well-trained and internationally funded extremists cum terrorists. The LGUs must put their intelligence and confidential funds to good use.

The security agencies of the government have identified two suspects in the blast. Rummaging through closed-circuit television footage and connecting the dots, they came up with their finding, which they claim is credible. The next thing we learned was that they had arrested a certain Jafar Gamo Sultan and were looking for a certain Omar. This raised eyebrows. Which is which? A certain Mimbesa and another still at large, or the one who was arrested? Remember, the former were tagged immediately by the authorities as suspects after the bombing, being allegedly commanders of the Maute-Dawlah Islamiyah, an affiliate of the Islamic State, responsible for the 2017 siege of Marawi.