Lomibao orders increased police visibility after Indonesia blast

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Arturo Lomibao ordered a higher security alert across the nation against the possibility of a terror attack following the bombing of a busy market in neighboring Indonesia which left 20 people dead Saturday.

Lomibao ordered the PNP Directorate for Operations headed by Director Isidro Lapeña to increase police visibility in markets, bus terminals, shopping malls and other public places.

"The Directorate for Operations was advised to remind all PNP field units to increase visibility patrols especially in soft targets like markets, malls and terminals," PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil told reporters.

Bataoil said the PNP chief also ordered Director Simeon Dizon of the PNP Directorate for Intelligence to determine the terror threat level in the country following the bombing in Indonesia.

Bataoil, however, clarified "there is no specific threat reported as of this period."

Two bombs exploded Saturday at a busy market in central Indonesia, killing at least 20 people and wounding 40 others in what authorities described as a volatile area marred by years of inter-religious fighting.

The blasts occurred in the morning at a market in Sulawesi island’s Christian-dominated town of Tentena.

More than 90 percent of Indonesia’s 210 million people are Muslims.

Saturday’s blasts came just two days after warnings of unspecified attacks that prompted the United States to close its embassy and other diplomatic offices in Indonesia until further notice.

The Indonesian police said they did not know of any specific threats against Americans, but that they have intelligence indicating that more attacks are coming.

On the other hand, Bataoil said the PNP will maintain its "three-tiered" anti-terrorist system even after many police personnel were deployed for anti-illegal gambling operations.

"Our intelligence gathering and sharing with other intelligence units is continuing, target hardening of vital installations, key economic zones and people convergence maintained and readiness check of our incident management," Bataoil said.

The PNP spokesman pointed out that in recent weeks the PNP has had its hands full with anti-gambling operations following the order of President Arroyo for a sustained campaign against jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling.

Allegations of jueteng payola dragged many government officials, from Mrs. Arroyo and members of her family to local officials and policemen.

"We see to it that the PNP attends and addresses every single issue that needs attention," Bataoil said.

Bataoil stressed the PNP still continues to gather intelligence information against another terror attack even as security issues are apparently overtaken by concerns over illegal gambling.

Last month, Lomibao admitted the threat of another terror attack citing the presence of about 40 foreign militants training local extremists in the jungles of Central Mindanao.

Bataoil said the PNP is closely coordinating their anti-terror efforts with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in tracking down foreign militants in Mindanao.

Authorities have arrested one foreign militant, an Indonesian named Rohmat last March.

Rohmat had claimed southern Philippines has become a major training ground for regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

Rohmat claimed Central Mindanao had hosted several terror camps maintained by the JI that also serve as a refuge for Indonesians involved in major attacks, including the 2002 Bali bombings.

The JI was also blamed for the August 2003 bombing of the JW Marriott hotel in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, which killed 12 people.

Rohmat had admitted training new recruits of the notorious bandit Abu Sayyaf group and said its leaders were plotting more bombings and kidnappings.

The Abu Sayyaf has claimed responsibility for the firebombing of SuperFerry 14 in February last year which left over 100 people killed and missing.

Security officials said Rohmat’s disclosures showed a close but highly compartmentalized relationship between JI and the Abu Sayyaf — two of the most dangerous groups in Southeast Asia — and partly explained why the threat of terrorism has persisted despite years of crackdown.