AN OFFICIAL of the Police Regional Office Northern Mindanao (PRO-10) on Tuesday, January 29, said government security forces are continuously monitoring the terror threat on major cities in Mindanao including Cagayan de Oro City, following the bomb attacks in Sulu and North Cotabato.
"The threat we are continuously monitoring was that the target of terror attacks is a major city in Mindanao; could be Davao, General Santos or Cagayan de Oro City," PRO-Northern Mindanao spokesperson Superintendent Surki Serenas said.
But, Serenas said the police and the military have remained on top of the peace and security situation in the entire region.
Serenas said the recent bombings which scored deaths and injuries "is a serious matter necessitating government and non-government actions."
Serenas said PRO-Northern Mindanao director Chief Superintendent Timoteo Pacleb had a top level meeting with the officials of the 4th Infantry Division on Monday to talk about the recent explosions.
"The attacks in North Cotabato and Jolo came from completely different groups although we consider them both terrorists. We just have to keep our watch and vigilance," Serenas said.
The Northern Mindanao police has already placed the entire region on a heightened alert and ordered to beef up security measures to ensure safety and security in all cities and provinces in the region.
Authorities have posted contact details in social media sites for the public to reach should there be any suspicious personalities and activities noticed in the surroundings.
Policemen on the ground are also conducting massive anti-terrorism and insurgency information dissemination.
Meanwhile, police noted a significant improvement in the response time of the rescue teams over the unannounced bomb drill conducted Tuesday at the City Hall.
Superintendent Robert Delos Reyes, chief of operations of Cagayan de Oro Police Office's (Cocpo) Plans Branch said the responding emergency personnel include Bureau of Fire Protection, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department, Explosive Ordnance Division, and other rescue teams.
"For my own personal assessment, the teams got a 7 out of 10 score. Medyo nag-improve na in terms of deployment of personnel and yung pag secure sa area" Delos Reyes said.
Cooperation of the civilians in the area has also improved, he added.
Lapses are still however observed, including the response time which Delos Reyes said is still slightly late.
This is the third time that police conducted the Crisis Emergency Response Exercise (Cerex). Delos Reyes said this is done, not because the city is threatened but to prepare the police in possible terror attacks.
The scenario included twin bombings in the City Hall vicinity.