‘Group feeding false terror info to embassies’

A well-organized group is reportedly feeding false security information to foreign embassies in the country to discredit the Arroyo administration before the international community.

Police and military sources said the group’s efforts led to the sudden closure of the Australian and Canadian embassies in Makati last Nov. 28.

Confidential information obtained by The STAR showed that erstwhile Manila police intelligence chief Superintendent George Gaddi passed on to a US Embassy intelligence officer a false report on the supposed plan of terrorists to bomb the Australian and Canadian embassies.

Reports said Gaddi and a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent arranged with the US intelligence officer to debrief Gaddi’s two "assets" or informants from Mindanao.

After the debriefing, the US intelligence officer immediately passed on the information to the Australian and Canadian embassies without any validation from higher authorities.

Sources said the group spreading false information to embassies is comprised of former media practitioners, active and retired police and military officers and some members of the NBI.

"Had we not uncovered the activities of this group last week, another embassy could have suddenly closed down its operations here without any warning," one of the sources said.

"Sad to say, these people behind the spreading of false security information are, in one way or the other, close associates of a known opposition figure," he said.

The Canadian Embassy has refused to acknowledge that it had closed down based on raw intelligence information from Gaddi.

Canadian Ambassador Robert Collette said Ottawa made its own assessment of the specific and credible threat to the embassy.

"We received as what I said before a direct, a very specific threat against the Canadian Embassy in Manila," he said.

Collette said there was still a credible terrorist threat to his country’s embassy and that it would remain closed indefinitely.

"Our government as I said before took this very seriously and we continue to believe this was a very credible source and that we took the necessary step to protect our Canadian and Filipino staff as well as the rest of the tenants that operate in the same building as ours," he said

Gaddi was suspended for allegedly leaking the intelligence report to the Canadian and Australian embassies.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane said Gaddi could be demoted or dismissed depending on the findings of an investigation.

Collette refused to comment on the relief of Gaddi, and said he did not know him.

"I don’t want to comment on that (Gaddi’s suspension), but I continue to think that the threat is credible," he said

Collette said he has been holding daily meetings with the PNP officials since the embassy’s Nov. 28 closure.

They will continue to review developments and will reassess when the embassy can be reopened, he added.

Heather Forton, the embassy’s counselor for political and economic affairs, said the mission would reopen as "as soon as we gain our comfort level."

Forton said Canadian Embassy officials in Manila did not decide on the closure but received the instructions from the home office.

"The information went straight to Ottawa and they assessed the information," she said. "The ambassador actually spent the whole night clarifying the instructions from Ottawa."

Forton said in an interview Ottawa found the threat direct and serious and ordered the embassy’s temporary closure.

"Nothing has changed," she said. "Our assessment came from Ottawa and we believe the threat to be very, very serious, very directed at the embassy, and what we call a credible threat."

The embassy does not know if Gaddi was among the sources for the threat assessment, she added.

Australia’s embassy and the European Union office also remained shut despite the suspension of Gaddi who allegedly leaked "unverified" information leading to the closure of the foreign missions late last month.

The Australian embassy also had no comment on Gaddi’s suspension. "The situation is being reviewed every day," press officer Carlo Figueroa said.

Manila police director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong said he had no reason to believe the charges against Gaddi.

"I don’t see how Gaddi could communicate with the two embassies because the (Manila police) has no jurisdiction over them," he said.

The embassies in Makati are under the jurisdiction of the Southern Police District, he added.

Government officials have insisted there were no threats and called the embassy closures an overreaction that harmed the country’s image as a safe investment and tourist destination.