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Thursday, February 17, 2005
Manila markets may be next terror targets: police
By Jonathan F. Fernandez
MANILA -- Local terrorists may be planning to attack public markets in Manila next, police said Wednesday, quoting intelligence reports.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Avelino Razon Jr. said although the report is still unverified, police have implemented measures to thwart such plans.
Bus marshals were ordered deployed to secure all passenger buses plying Edsa and other major thoroughfares in Metro Manila.
Meanwhile, Malacañang said the declaration of a state of emergency as proposed by a senator in the aftermath of the bombings that hit Makati, Davao and General Santos cities last Monday will have to be studied.
Bomb blasts rocked the three cities on Valentine's Day, killing seven people and wounding more than 150 others.
In Davao, a regionwide task force on intelligence and investigation is now working double time to identify and arrest the suspects behind the Valentine's Day bombings in the cities of General Santos and Davao.
The Joint Regional Intelligence and Investigation Task Force created by the Regional Peace and Order Council last December was headed by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte with Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 chief Simeon Dizon as vice-chair.
Two separate task forces are under the joint regional task force, the intelligence task force composed of all intelligence units of the police and the military and the investigation task force composed of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
While in the Senate, Senator Panfilo Lacson urged his colleagues in Congress to prioritize the passage of the Anti-Terror bill to address the threats posed by local terrorists.
Razon has called for target hardening and a vigilant watch on shopping malls, bus terminals, air and seaports and other vital installations in the metropolis as he said Metro Manilans need not to be alarmed because the situation is under control.
He said he already deployed additional policemen to various oil depots, foreign embassies and other public places.
The military's National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) headed by Major General Allan Cabalquinto said it has deployed 300 additional soldiers in Metro Manila.
The troops have been deployed "for checkpoint and chokepoint duty all over the metro to deter any more terrorist acts."
The NCRCOM has also augmented with fresh Marine forces its Task Group Marisec, which is tasked to secure incoming and outgoing vessels at the North and South Harbor in Manila.
Razon assured the public that despite the bombing incidents, the peace and order situation in Metro Manila still remains normal.
"These are just isolated cases and we assure our fellow Metro Manilans that there is nothing to worry about, I gave my standing orders to the five police district directors and to our 37 station commanders and chiefs of police to stay alert always and ensure peace and order in their areas of responsibility," he said.
About 30 uniformed policemen will board buses to inspect passengers' belongings.
The bus marshals will also orient conductors on how to spot suspicious-looking passengers on their buses.
Motorcycle policemen will patrol Edsa while additional patrol cars will be deployed on bus stops for police visibility. Police cars and motorcycles will be visible 24-hours a day to check and double-check security measures within their respective areas of responsibility.
Press secretary and presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye Wednesday said the proposal of Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr. for the President to declare a state of emergency in the areas affected by bomb blasts, although "well-meaning," would still have to be studied.
Bunye said President Arroyo would have to consult her security advisers in order to "weigh the implications of declaring parts of Mindanao under a state of emergency."
He said government is content with a heightened alert and the posting of additional guards in public places.
National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said he does not think that declaring a state of emergency is necessary at this time.
Gonzales said, "it is about time" that Congress revives the proposals to enact the anti-terrorism bill. He also pushed for the use of wiretapping as a tool for intelligence gathering, saying government will not abuse it.
"Wiretapping is an accepted tool of intelligence in practically all countries of the world. Ang dapat tingnan (What should be looked at) is whether wiretapping would invade the privacy of individuals. Our intention is not to invade anybody's privacy but to simply monitor criminals and lawless elements," he said.
Bunye also rejected the proposal of Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos to set free former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Nur Misuari in order to restore peace in Mindanao.
"That proposal is tantamount to surrender. We know Misuari is in jail because he has pending charges. What is important is to speed up his trial. If he is guilty, he should be in jail permanently but if he is proven innocent, he should be set free," he said.
Bunye said government is confident that the travel advisories issued against the Philippines would be "reconsidered and lifted" as soon as the culprits behind the bombings are arrested.
"The Valentine's Day bombings have made the terrorists complete outcasts in our society and we have full public support to punish them. Our main focus now is to ensure strict and sustained implementation of security measures and this is now being done round the clock," he said.
He said the economy was not affected by the bombings, which means the international and local business community gave more weight to the country's strong economic fundamentals.
President Arroyo, in her speech at the launching of the UN Millenium Project in Makati City, said aside from "ego," poverty also causes terrorism because terrorist "hatchet men and messengers can be found in the poorest provinces of our country."
Senator Lacson, meanwhile, said the government should give priority to an anti-terror bill which is still pending in the Congress.
Lacson, who filed the bill in the Senate in 2001, has urged the Malacañang to certify the bill as urgent.
"This (referring to the bombings) should be a wake-up call for us to have an anti-terror bill approved," said Lacson.
Lacson said Senate Bill 831 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2004 provides heavier penalties on terrorists.
The senator cited the need for "a more innovative approach" to detect and stop terrorism.
It provides that persons convicted of terrorism can be meted life imprisonment to death, and a fine of up to P1 million. On the other hand, person convicted as accessories can be meted 12 to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of P500,000.
Lacson added that the bill allows law enforcers to conduct electronic surveillance on suspected terrorists but punishes anyone who reveals, tampers or destroys information derived from the tapping.
It likewise calls for the formation of a Anti-Terrorism Council with the justice secretary as chairman. (With reports from RB/JPM/BOT/Peng Aliño)
(February 17, 2005 issue)
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