Central Visayas cops on guard on reports JI recruiting new members

Police and military officials in Central Visayas are on tight guard following reports from the intelligence community that members of the Jemaah Islamiyah are recruiting new members in some parts of the country.

But Central Command spokesman Lt. Col. Jefferson Umandam yesterday said that such recruitment activity would not prosper in the Visayas because people here are vigilant compared to those in Mindanao.

City police director Melvin Gayotin and Criminal Investigation Intelligence Branch chief Paul Labra said all units have already been alerted, in fact, yesterday was the deadline for the submission of situational reports from the station levels. Gayotin said there are no reports of recruitment activities happening in the metropolis so far.

The report received by the intelligence community last Sept. 2 revealed that apart from recruitment, members of JI are also set to establish safehouses and operation centers nationwide.

Among the areas where recruitment is said to be taking place include the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, National Capital Region, Bicol and Southern Palawan.

"They will also look for Muslim businessmen who are already established in the country to be utilized for possible channeling of operational funds," the report said.

Thus, provincial and city directors were ordered to assess their respective jurisdiction to possibly identify Balik Islam individuals who might be tapped for the activity.

The order from the regional headquarters also told concerned officials to identify other contact persons, names of buildings, organizations and establishments that might be utilized for the project.

JI, a group of terrorists said to be connected to the al Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden, was also rumored to have tapped the Abu Sayyaf in Mindanao years ago for its operations here. — Freeman News Service