Monday, December 22, 2008 Police clarify anti-terror drill
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) said Sunday there is no specific threat of bombing in Metro Manila in the face of last Saturday's counter-terrorism drill at one of the stations of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) at Edsa.
"There is no specific threat as of now. It's better to be prepared, to have preparations which is general in scope, which covers not only terrorist threat but also organized crime group and ordinary crime incidents," said National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Leopoldo Bataoil.
The drill was observed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, executive chairman of the Anti-Terrorist Council. The drill involved NCRPO and Special Action Force policemen and MRT guards.
Bataoil said that while the NCRPO has been doing its best to protect the people and civilian installations, they have to conduct an exercise to test their preparations in case an actual attack occurs.
"We are preparing also in case we are not able to prevent them (attacks), in case uncontrollable events occur. We are showing to the people that the Philippine National Police is prepared whatever happens," he said.
After the drill, Bataoil said Ermita issued a number of guidance to the participating units. However, the police official did not elaborate.
Meanwhile, the PNP is investigating possible involvement of three detained bombing suspects in last Thursday's bombings in Iligan City.
The two separate blasts killed three persons and wounded several others.
PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa instructed Northern Mindanao Police Director Teodorico Capuyan to coordinate closely with the Directorate for Integrated Police Operation in Eastern Mindanao under Chief Superintendent Endres Caro II to establish possible links to the Iligan bombings of previously arrested bombing suspects.
Verzosa was referring to Muhammad Alpariz, a Bangladeshi bomb manufacturer identified with the Jemaah Islamiya, and Guiamalodin Edsrafil, a bomb expert under the command of wanted Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commander Ameril Umbra Kato, both arrested in Central Mindanao prior to the Iligan blasts.
Another detained bomber, Sala Kasan Bairaulla, who was arrested in Metro Manila after yielding improvised explosive devices, is also being implicated in the bombings. (VR/JRDB/Sunnex)
