Intel leak

It was raw intel that the police was still trying to verify, that the Maute group was set to stage terrorist bombings in Metro Manila. But social media is a fountain of fake news and unverified or unreliable information, which many people find difficult to separate from reliable reports. So the leak of a memorandum about the Valenzuela police verifying the information, which spread through social media, caused some panic.

It was a dismaying intelligence breach, and the Philippine National Police is correct in conducting a probe of the Valenzuela police for its careless handling of unverified information. The intelligence chief of the Valenzuela police reportedly issued the memorandum to police precincts in the city for verification of the information. There must be PNP protocols for keeping raw intel strictly confidential, especially information with a high potential to cause public concern.

Whether or not the plot is real, however, the PNP and other public safety agencies plus private security firms must prepare for any contingencies when dealing with the Mautes and their partners in terrorism, the Abu Sayyaf. Metro Manila has suffered deadly terrorist attacks, starting with the near-simultaneous bombings in Manila, Makati, Quezon City and the NAIA cargo handling area on Dec. 30, 2000 that killed 22 people. Police pinned the attacks on Southeast Asian terror cell Jemaah Islamiyah and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The Abu Sayyaf bombing of the SuperFerry 14 near the mouth of Manila Bay in February 2004 remains the deadliest single terrorist attack in the country so far, with 116 people confirmed killed. So those involved in keeping the public safe cannot afford to let down their guard. Especially with terrorists inspired by the Islamic State now using ordinary items such as motor vehicles to kill.

Foreign jihadis continue to enter the country. Agencies tasked to regulate the entry of foreigners must enhance security measures and tighten their monitoring of potential entry points. Reports said some of the foreign terrorists entered the country through legitimate routes, going through immigration. Local government units can assist national agencies in preventing the entry of foreign troublemakers. LGUs also have a critical role to play in keeping out terrorists from their communities.

Recent attacks in other countries show that the terrorist threat keeps mutating. Those tasked to keep the public safe must stay one step ahead of the terrorists. There is no room for complacency in this fight.