Monday, June 18, 2007 Security tightened amid bomb threats By Carlo P. Mallo
AMID terror threats, Task Force Davao (TFD) and the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) have already intensified security measures to ensure that no untoward incident will happen in the city.
The twin bombings of two Weena buses Friday have sparked speculations that there is an imminent terror threat in the city.
According to Alan Luga, TFD chief, intelligence reports yielded no terror plot in Davao City.
Luga, however, asserted the said report is not a reason for them not to be on high alert.
"Negative naman (its negative), but our assumption is that the city is always a prime target of terrorists," Luga said Saturday.
Luga added additional security measures have been put in place since Friday after the bomb explosion in Cotabato City and Bansalan, Davao del Sur.
More stringent security measures and thorough inspection of luggage and packages were conducted at the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (Dcott).
On the other hand, Jaime Morente, DCPO director, said they have already instructed bus operators not to allow the boarding of passengers outside the terminal.
In an interview on Saturday, Morente said terrorists might board the buses outside the terminal in order to avoid inspection.
"Should it be inevitable to allow passengers to board outside the terminal, the bus drivers and inspectors should be alert and thoroughly check the luggage before allowing the passenger to board," Morente added.
One of the biggest security concerns of bus passengers is the boarding of other passengers outside the terminal, unlike other passengers which are subjected to thorough security inspection upon entry at the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal.
Luga told Sun.Star Davao they would be meeting with bus operators and the administrators of the transport terminal in order to discuss additional security measures that would be necessary.
Davao City was already placed on high alert prior to Friday's bomb explosion that ripped through a Davao City-bound Weena Bus.
As of Saturday, the death toll in the Bansalan explosion has reached nine while the injured is 14.
The bus was just leaving the Bansalan public terminal just a few meters from a gasoline station on its way to Davao city when the bomb exploded.
On May 18, a blast hit the Weena bus terminal in Cotabato city killing three people and wounding 20 others.
Investigators are eyeing either extortion or terror plots as the motive of the perpetrators of the said bombing attacks. No group or personality has also claimed responsibility for the incident.
