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Sunday, August 13, 2006
Oro, Misamis Oriental police raise alert level
By Stephen Capillas
THE City Government of Cagayan de Oro and the Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental on Friday called on the police to step up security measures in light of the twin bombings in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato last Thursday.
This came about as a bomb scare hit Lumbia airport, prompting the Tactical Operations Group (TOG) of the Philippine Air Force to bring two K-9 bomb-sniffing dogs to the area.
However, the report turned out to be a false alarm as airport personnel later recovered a plastic bag containing only a disposed charger for a laptop computer along with a receipt. The contents are said to belong to a Rotary club member.
Meanwhile, Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno cited the arrest of 24 suspected Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) suspects in Heathrow airport, London last Wednesday and the bombings in Kidapawan City as proof that the terror threat is very real and should not be taken for granted.
Mayor Vicente Emano was also said in a radio interview that he ordered all city police precincts to step up their security for Cagayan de Oro in light of this month's fiesta celebration.
"Although these terror threats should not be dismissed these usually occur during fiestas," he said. However, City Police Director Aurelio Trampe admitted the city police aren't prepared to deal head on with terrorists.
"Honestly speaking we are unprepared to deal with it," he said in an interview, stating that they need more weapons, vests and Special Weapons and Tactics teams to combat the terror threat.
Slim
Despite this, Trampe said they are awaiting the issuance of 11 patrol cars to help them in their security preparations even as he assured that they are doing their best to ward off the terror threat.
And during last Thursday's turn over of command at the Fourth Infantry Division, Philippine Army Chief Romeo Tolentino said the military should also intensify its campaign against terrorists in the same way that it is cracking down on communist insurgents.
"To combat the communist insurgents whom we call as terrorists and the Jemaah Islamiyah who have trained their people here in Mindanao to make bombs, we have to find them and stop them," he told the 4th ID troops.
Newly installed Fourth ID chief Brigadier General Jose Barbieto called on the division troops to improve their coordination with local government units (LGUs), the private sector, and the communities to stop both criminality and terrorism.
For his part, Provincial Police Director Lyndel Desquitado said their command is always on alert for terror threats.
He said their raised alert level is not only in response to the Cotabato bombings and the failed bomb attempts at London but also due to the threat of raids in towns and police precincts of the communist New People's Army (NPA) in Misamis Oriental.
On the other hand, Regional Police Director Florante Baguio said they have ordered their intelligence units to redouble their efforts at monitoring the presence of terror groups in Region 10.
Though Baguio said the possibility of terror bombings in Misamis Oriental and Region 10 is slim compared to other areas like Cotabato, which are plagued by militant elements.
In Manila, airport authorities have imposed restrictions on the transportation and use of liquid and aerosol products, though they said these policies are nothing new.
And in Cotabato, two police officers were killed and their firearms and equipment stolen by suspected JI militants in a village outside of Pikit town in North Cotabato.
The two explosions that rocked Kidapawan City wounded several persons, including a police officer who tried to disarm one of the bombs. (With reports from Annabelle Ricalde of Sun.Star Superbalita and Sunnex)
(August 12, 2006 issue)
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