Thursday, October 12, 2006 Police on high alert amid Mindanao bombings By Stephen Capillas
CITY and regional police authorities are on heightened alert following the spate of bombings that occurred in Makilala town, North Cotabato and a public market in Sultan Kudarat province all in Central Mindanao last Tuesday.
Philippine National Police Regional Director Florante Baguio said their personnel remain on high alert following the two bombings.
Another bomb exploded outside a shop in downtown Cotabato City in southern Mindanao, causing damage but no injuries, police said.
At least 14 people were killed and another 24 wounded in two bomb attacks last Tuesday -- the first explosion killed two women and injured four others in a public market in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat early in the morning.
The second explosion rocked the town hall of Makilala town in North Cotabato province during the town fiesta, killing two persons on the spot and injuring 20 others. About 10 of the victims died while on their way to the nearest hospital.
Cagayan de Oro City Police Director Aurelio Trampe earlier said he received reports from their PNP central office that bombings would occur somewhere in Mindanao.
Mayor Vicente Emano said he will leave Australia where he is attending a trade mission along with municipal officials and top business leaders should an emergency arise.
"These bombings could not have come at a worse time. Since reports of it came out we had a tough time selling Cagayan de Oro to investors in Australia who get nervous every time they receive reports about bombings in Mindanao," he told dxIF Bombo Radyo in Visayan.
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Emano said he and the other trade mission members are telling investors that the city remains peaceful despite these reports.
But, he added it was a tough sell especially since Australia issued an advisory to its citizens not to go to Mindanao owing to its peace and order situation.
Emano talked with local officials and Deputy City Police Director Antonio Montalba about securing the city from terror attacks.
Later on Regional Director Virgilio Mendez of the National Bureau of Investigation-Northern Mindanao said while their office had yet to determine the presence of terrorist elements, he doesn't discount the possibility that there are not within Northern Mindanao.
"There is a task force formed for this purpose among the members being the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica). What we can ask is vigilance and cooperation from the public in monitoring and reporting these terrorist elements," Mendez said.
For his part, Councilor Alvin Calingin said maximizing public cooperation in monitoring terrorist elements can mean tapping the ronda tanods and the market vendors.
"Since public markets are near bus and jeepney terminals where a lot of people congregate, maybe the City Government can tap the market vendors' associations to look out for any suspicious looking characters in their midst," Calingin said.
Calingin said a strong community intelligence network is crucial in order to complement the inadequate personnel and equipment of the existing city police force.
The bombing came just a week after security forces arrested the Indonesian wife -- Istiada Oemar Sovie and her two boys ages six and eight -- of a Jemaah Islamiya militant, Dulmatin, in Jolo island. (With reports from Annabelle Ricalde and Sunnex)
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