Sunday, October 22, 2006
Suspension of public gathering in Koronadal temporary: Mayor
KORONADAL CITY -- The City Government has ordered the temporary suspension of the holding of open public gatherings due to the continuing threats of terror attacks in the area.
Mayor Fernando Miguel said he issued a directive to officials of the city's 27 barangays and other concerned groups in the city to forego all scheduled activities in open public places to thwart any attacks by alleged terrorist groups.
"I encourage everybody instead to help us monitor the situation by reporting any suspicious movements or activities of some people," the mayor told reporters last week.
Miguel also confirmed the city has been receiving bomb threats from terrorist elements, which police and military authorities have linked to alleged Indonesian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).
Miguel said police and military units based in the city already heightened their security operations in the area since the fresh threats came out several weeks ago.
"We've been maintaining a high level of security here and we even augmented it with some mechanisms to ensure that we will all be safe here," he said.
The mayor said the city police office, elements from the Army's 27th Infantry Battalion and civilian volunteer groups have been patrolling the city on a 24-hour basis.
He said the city police also activated at least three hotline numbers so residents could immediately report any suspicious movements of some persons and the presence of unattended belongings.
"Don't hesitate to immediately call our police even if you are unsure of the situation," he added. (Allen V. Estabillo)
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(October 16, 2006 issue)
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