Police on alert vs terror strikes

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. ordered all police units nationwide to go on a full alert status because of the possibility of terror attacks.

Police is raising its alert level to full status as the 48-hour ultimatum given by US President George W. Bush to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to step down end at 9 a.m. today (Manila time).

Ebdane also ordered Deputy Director General Clyde Fernandez to activate contingency measures in the event of "sympathy terror attacks."

PNP director for community relations Chief Superintendent Ricardo de Leon said the alert status will be implemented nationwide starting 6 a.m. today, or three hours before the US deadline.

"This means the PNP is ready for any eventuality as the ultimatum given by the US to Iraq ends," De Leon said.

Chief Superintendent Vidal Querol, PNP operations chief, added that the activation of the national crisis committee is to ready all contingency plans if war breaks out in the Middle East.

"We created the national crisis coordinating committee, and effective today (Wednesday), the PNP crisis management committee has been activated to see to it that our contingency plans will be pursued and implemented," Querol said.

He said the alert status "would be the highest status for the PNP" where the entire 113,000-strong police force would be available for immediate deployment.

"When we declare the maximum alert status, all policemen and women are available for deployment, our police mobile groups are already on standby and the PNP can conduct necessary mobile checkpoints whenever necessary," he said.

Querol said police quick reaction teams are being readied in anticipation of possible sympathy attacks by local extremists.

The PNP has also beefed up the security of the US Embassy and several other missions as well as vital government installations.

Querol said military intelligence agents have been deployed across the country to monitor movements of known extremists sympathetic to Iraq.

Police are also monitoring movements of anti-war personalities as protests mount with the countdown to war. – With Romel Bagares