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Saturday, February 04, 2006
Alert raised in metro over new terror threat
MANILA -- Police have strengthened security in Metro Manila amid reports that Abu Sayyaf bandits are planning to launch bombings in the metropolis on or before February 14 or Valentine's Day.
Department of Justice prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco said the latest plot was uncovered with the help of a former Abu Sayyaf member who turned state witness during a trial last year that ended with death sentences for an Indonesian and two Filipinos for their role in the February 14, 2005 bus bombing that killed four people.
"Their plan is to strike on or before February 14 to show they are still a force to reckon with, to say that even if our people are in jail, we can strike," Velasco said.
He refused to disclose details of the plot, but said three would-be attackers were identified by the witness, Gappal Bannah, through surveillance photographs.
Velasco said he had filed a case of rebellion against them and was waiting for a judge to issue arrest warrants.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Vidal Querol said they were fortifying security in Metro Manila to make it difficult for terrorists to execute their plan.
He added that while there is no need for the Metro Manila police force to be placed on full alert status, policemen should be watchful for any indications that would-be bombers are already in the country's capital.
Querol said he motored around Metro Manila to ensure that security measures are in place in all public places and vital installations. The police chief deployed policemen in bus terminals, malls, rail stations, and other crowded areas that may be the targets of terrorists.
He also said he has intensified police visibility patrols and ordered the five police district directors to implement "very tight" security measures in their respective areas.
He added that he is coordinating with the Mindanao police to prevent the Abu Sayyaf from pushing through with its plan to launch bombings in Metro Manila.
Abu Sayyaf guerrillas, hiding in the remote jungles of the southern Philippines, are notorious for ransom kidnappings and bomb attacks, which have targeted Filipinos and Americans.
The group, which numbers about 300 men, is on a US list of terrorist organizations and Washington has offered rewards for information leading to the capture of its leaders.
Scores of militants already have been killed or arrested in US-backed military operations. Later this month, about 250 American troops will start month-long military training of Filipino soldiers on southern Jolo Island, a guerrilla stronghold.
The Abu Sayyaf had claimed responsibility for the February 14, 2005 bombing in Manila's Makati financial district, as well as two other bomb attacks in two southern towns the same day, in retaliation for a military offensive.
An Indonesian man, Rohmat, who confessed to membership in the regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, was sentenced to death last year for the attack, along with two Filipinos, Gamal Baharan, and Abu Khalil Trinidad.
Authorities say several dozen Indonesian militants have been training Abu Sayyaf guerrillas in bomb-making. (JFF/AP)
(February 4, 2006 issue)
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5 killed, 4 wounded in Jolo island attack