Police implement tighter security to avert bombings

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  - Police authorities have stepped up intelligence surveillance following the spate of deadly bombing attacks across Mindanao region which left almost a score of fatalities and dozens more wounded in a span of two weeks, a security official said.

Chief Superintendent Juanito Vaño of the Police Regional Office 9 (PRO) also directed all ground police commanders in Western Mindanao to implement target hardening to counter the lawless elements from staging bombing attacks.

“The police commanders are directed to fully employ the three-tiered defense system,” Vaño said.

Under the three-tiered defense system of the Philippine National Police, the police forces are to intensify the intelligence, target hardening and incident management.

Vaño also directed the police forces to solicit the cooperation and support of the stakeholders to report all suspicious people, packages and movement of lawless elements in their respective area of operations to thwart any plot of bombings.

The latest bombing attack hit Wednesday in Midsayap, North Cotabato but no casualty was reported.

On Monday, a bombing in  Cotabato City killed eight people and wounded 35 others.

Last Week, an improvised bomb also ripped through the commercial center in Cagayan de Oro City that also killed eight.

Authorities have yet to identify any group responsible in both attacks neither could  they say if the bombings were related to the threat issued by the Al-qaeda terror cell.

Tight security has been adopted in Sulu, a province known to have strong presence of the al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf group and members of the Asia terror cell Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

Senior Superintendent Abraham Orbita, Sulu provincial police commander, said security have been doubled and intelligence monitoring  have been beefed up against the movement of the Abu Sayyaf and JI cohorts.

“We are not discounting any threat. Coordination has been made with the local government units down to the barangay level to monitoring suspicious movements,” Orbita added.