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Saturday, February 19, 2005
Orange alert up in Davao City; attack 'likely'
By Aurea A. Gerundio
DAVAO CITY -- Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte raised Friday the alert level in Davao City from yellow to orange, signifying there is a high risk of terror attacks happening here.
An orange alert is the second highest on a five-color terror alert scale that was established in the US in March 2002 in the wake of terrorist attacks there. The lowest in the scale is green, followed by blue, then yellow, orange, and red.
Being on orange alert means all are advised to observe extreme caution because untoward incidents are "likely to happen".
With terror threat being a global reality, a yellow alert is considered the "default mode" signifying that terror is already part of present-day life.
In a gathering of friends Thursday night, Duterte asked a visitor to tarry a while longer, saying there might be bombings in the city yet again.
Christopher "Bong" Go, Duterte's executive assistant, said in a text message the alert status was based on consolidated information showing the risk of attack on government facilities and places where people gather was high.
Green means a low risk of terrorist attack.
Blue is a general risk, and agencies are asked to review and update emergency response procedures.
Yellow is an "elevated condition," meaning there is a significant risk of attack. Increased surveillance of critical locations and implementing some emergency response plans are called for.
An orange alert level calls for coordination of security efforts between the military and police and additional precautions in public events.
Red means a "severe risk" of attack and may require the pre-positioning of specially trained teams, closing public and government facilities and monitoring transportation systems.
Go said all operating units on public safety have been instructed to remain in high level of readiness to preempt any untoward incident from happening.
Residents of Davao City were also advised to remain calm and alert and to report immediately to police or call 911 any suspicious activity or person.
City Administrator Wendel E. Avisado and Business Bureau Chief Erwin P. Alparaque said they received several text messages from anonymous senders informing them to stay at home.
Specifically, the message read: "To our brothers and sisters in Islam, please stay at home on February 18. Pass this to our Muslim friends."
Avisado called on the public to be vigilant. He said the barangay policemen were also instructed to secure their respective barangays against possible entry of terrorists.
"The police are conducting briefings, seminars and capability building with the barangay volunteers on how they can help secure their respective barangays," Avisado said.
In the US, where the Department of Homeland Security unveiled the five-color terror alert three years ago, the system is getting a lot of flak as it is viewed to have unduly caused panic when US President George W. Bush raised the level of terror alert in the US from yellow to orange four times in just over a year from March 2002 to May 2003. The terror alert continues to jump up and down the two color scales.
(February 19, 2005 issue)
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