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Saturday, October 14, 2006
Mindanao placed under 'highest terror' alert level
By Cheng Ordonez
ZAMBONAGA CITY -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines' chief of staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. has placed Mindanao under "highest terror" alert level, and Metro Manila on the third highest, as the military braces for more terrorist attacks, government information official said.
Alert level 4 or "critical," the highest in the new terror warning system, remains over Mindanao while alert level 2 or "moderate" is up in Metro Manila, Esperon said from Manila, the InfoCenter here said.
"We have retained the alert level in Mindanao and Metro Manila for the possibility of terror attacks," Esperon told reporters in a chance interview at the Wackwack golf club in Mandaluyong City, the same source said.
Esperon said the "critical" alert was raised even before the bombings occurred in the cities of Cotabato and Tacurong and Makilala town in North Cotabato province, where, at least, six people were killed and over two dozen others were wounded.
Mindanao had been placed on alert level 3 or "high" and Metro Manila, on alert level 2, ahead of the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Corazon Panganiban, InfoCenter chief, explained that the highest terror alert is raised when a known terrorist group had "the intent and capability" to launch attacks.
"In Mindanao, we have known groups who have expressed intent to conduct terrorist activities. The Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiyah, we know that they have the capability and, therefore, the military has put up the extreme critical alert level," she said, quoting Esperon.
"When under the highest terror alert, Esperon said troops in the area would conduct stricter inspection at checkpoints and intensify intelligence gathering," Panganiban said.
A "moderate" alert level means that there are reports of possible terror attacks, but authorities have not identified specific groups or whether they are capable of launching attacks, Esperon was quoted as saying. (Sunnex)
(October 14, 2006 issue)
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Besides Marines, Army soldiers to help secure summit