MM on alert for repeat of Valentine’s Day bomb attack

Police in Metro Manila are on heightened alert to prevent a repeat of the Valentine’s Day bombings in Makati, Davao and General Santos City in 2005.

Four people were killed and 60 others injured in those terrorist attacks.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Oscar Calderon has ordered police regional, provincial, district and station commanders to ensure the public’s safety.

Police regional directors have the discretion to upgrade the alert status in their jurisdictions, depending on the situation prevailing in their areas, he added.

Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr., PNP spokesman, said National Capital Regional Police Office chief Director Reynaldo Varilla has ordered the deployment of more patrols and the inspection of public establishments, particularly the Light Rail Transit, Metro Rail Transit, oil depots and other government and private buildings.

"The heightened alert status will take effect 8 a.m. Tuesday," he said. "There is no specific threat but more on prevention and that’s the good part of it."

Police will also inspect seaports and airports, he added.

On Feb. 14, 2005, three consecutive bombings in Makati, Davao and General Santos City killed four persons and injured over 60 others.

Eight months later, an Indonesian national and two Filipino terrorists –Rohmat Abdurrahim, tagged as a Jemaah Islamiyah leader, and his Filipino cohorts Angelo Trinidad, alias Tapay, and Gamal Baharan, alias Abu Khalil, who are members of the Abu Sayyaf – were meted the death penalty after a court convicted them for the killing of the victims.

Last year, police nationwide and troops in Metro Manila were also placed on full alert in preparation for the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks in the United States.

At that time, all leaves were canceled for troops in Metro Manila, while forces nationwide were asked to step up surveillance.

Calderon said last year police were prepared to thwart "sympathy attacks on soft targets," possibly by al-Qaeda-linked militants like the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiyah.

"The three-tiered defense system has been activated in all police regional officers in the country and operating units have been tasked to mobilize all available resources to beef up security where it is needed," he said.

The three-tiered defense system is a strategic measure involving intelligence, target-hardening and incident management as a pro-active response against threats and incidents of terrorism, he added.

Calderon ordered at that time the Aviation Security Group to ensure the 100-percent availability of all personnel and resources to implement the heightened security procedures in all international airports and domestic air terminals.

"Task Force Sanglahi, which is the intelligence backbone of the anti-terrorism effort, is doing an excellent job of continuously monitoring the movement and activities of the known terrorist groups to keep a step ahead of their plans," he said.

The Special Action Force must provide possible support to ASG in terms of troops augmentation, equipment and tactical response, he added.

Police have captured notorious terrorists, among them Muklis Yunos of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front special operations group, Taufek Refki, third in command of the JI’s Wakalah Hudaubiyah cell, and Edzmar Hayudini and Yakob Basug, two of the most elusive terrorists of the Abu Sayyaf. – Cecille Suerte Felipe