PNP coordinating with embassies on terrorists

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is coordinating with counterparts in the United States, Japan and Switzerland in connection with the foiled plan to bomb the Vietnamese Embassy in Manila following last Thursday’s arrest of three alleged foreign terrorists in a townhouse in San Juan.

PNP chief Director General Leandro Mendoza has ordered the strict monitoring of foreign embassies in the country to avert any attempt by terrorists, foreign or local, to disrupt their operations.

Representatives from the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Embassy have been closely coordinating with the PNP-Intelligence Group to determine the extent of the suspects’ alleged terroristic activities in the Philippines.

Police sources said intelligence agents are looking into reports that the townhouse where the bomb materials were found, was maintained by a certain Ms. Estrada, who reportedly had links with a former officer of the Military Intelligence and Security Group (MISG) of the defunct Philippine Constabulary.

The PNP temporarily imposed a "gag" on officials tipping off members of the media to avoid jeopardizing police operations. A premature announcement Friday by the PNP-Public Information Office sent members of the foreign and local press into a frenzy.

Immigration and police officials foiled the alleged attempt to bomb the Vietnamese Embassy in Manila with the arrest of three foreign terrorists Thursday.

The police identified the alleged terrorists as Vietnamese-American Vu Van Doc alias Tom/Quyen, 41; Makoto Ito, 62, a Japanese; and Huynh Thuan Ngoc, 42, a Swiss national of Vietnamese origin.

The three were collared last Thursday at around 7:30 a.m. in a raid conducted jointly by the Bureau of Immigration, the National Capital Regional Police Office and the Intelligence Group on Unit 17, Sylvana Town Homes, 304 P. Guevarra Street, Barangay Sta. Lucia, San Juan.

Seized from the suspects’ house was a suspected improvised explosive device with booster detonating cord and components for explosive devices, including bags of ammonium nitrate, rolls of wire with improvised blasting caps, a 12-volt battery, relays and several cellular telephones.

Sources said the arrest of the three foiled a plot to bomb the Vietnamese Embassy in Manila during the celebration of the National Day of the Republic of Vietnam, which was yesterday.

A police report said, "it is believed that the arrested suspects are planning to conduct bombing activities targetting the Vietnamese Embassy in Manila using improvised explosive devices and other components seized, on or before this coming Sunday, Sept. 2, 2001 which is the National Day of the Republic of Vietnam."

A background check by the police on Vu Van Doc revealed that he is wanted in Thailand as the principal suspect in the failed bombing of the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok on June 19.

The PNP said Doc operates a terrorist cell in the country. He is said to be a member of the Free Vietnam Revolutionary Group (FVRG), the military arm of the Government of Free Vietnam, a worldwide organization engaged in liberating the Republic of Vietnam from communist rule," police sources said.

The so-called FVRG is also suspected to be behind the arson attack on the Vietnamese Embassy in London on Sept. 2, last year, immigration officials said. – Christina Mendez and Non Alquitran