Terror alert level 3 up
THE COUNTRY has been placed under “terror alert level 3” following what was described as the foiled attempt by the Maute Group to carry out a bomb attack in Metro Manila, Philippine National Police Chief Ronald M. dela Rosa said Thursday. At a televised press briefing in Camp Crame, where he presented the two suspects who allegedly planted the bomb near the US embassy in Manila on Monday, Mr. dela Rosa confirmed: “Naka-alerto na tayo, and’yan na tayo sa level 3 ( We are on alert, we’re now at level 3).”
Pressed for details of what the public should expect with the alert level, Mr. dela Rosa said there will be more “strong checkpoints, [and] they (the public) should expect the Oplan Sita (spot checks) anytime, and they should expect some raids being conducted by security forces on suspected terrorist personalities and lairs.”
A police intelligence officer speaking on condition he must not be named explained that level 3 means “there were movements of terrorist[ s] monitored planning to launch an attack.” Higher alert levels are raised if an attack is actually carried out.
Despite this, Mr. dela Rosa urged people not to be alarmed even as he urged them to be “vigilant.”
“Ang ma- assure ko sa publiko (I can assure the public), the PNP and AFP are doing our very best to secure the safety of the country,” he said.
The PNP chief said the bomb near the US embassy, which police explosives experts safely detonated, was originally intended to be detonated at the nearby Luneta Park.
However, he did not say when this was supposed to have happened. The Luneta hosted a massive protest last Friday against the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
Mr. dela Rosa said the Manila bomb attempt was the handiwork of a five-man cell, including arrested suspects Rayson Kilala Sakdal, also known as Rashid Kilala, and Jamir Kinar.
The three others, he said, transported the bomb from Mindanao to Metro Manila but have since returned there.
He said the bomb was intended to ease pressure off the Maute Group, which is the target of a major military offensive in Butig, Lanao del Sur, as well as to convince the Islamic State to recognize them.
For his part, Communications Secretary Martin M. Andanar said: “The PNP placed in Alert 3 to confirm with PNP Standard Operating Procedures ( SOP) which put the whole PNP in extreme alert for terrorists who might commit similar acts of planting bombs in Metro Manila. This could mean for the PNP to heighten their mobile checkpoints, increase intelligence activities and law enforcement operations.”
Mr. Andanar assured the public “there will be no disruption in their normal lives” despite the security concern, “in the same vein that there was no change in the way they live, work, or conduct business now that the country is under [a] state of national emergency on the account of lawless violence.” — main report by interaksyon.com, with