No plan to convene security council

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has no plan to convene the National Security Council to quell the terrorist threat, which is limited to Eastern Mindanao and does not include Metro Manila, a Palace official said yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda assured the public that both the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police have not received reports that the National Capital Region would be attacked.

“The information we have is that the terror threat is limited to Davao City. It’s a proactive stance to envelop and to ensure the security of the other provinces near Davao City,” Lacierda said.

“No threats in Manila,” he emphasized.

No less than President Aquino warned Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte about the threats.

Duterte has beefed up security in his jurisdiction.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Carmelo Valmoria also ruled out the spillover into Metro Manila of the “possible threat” in Davao and other parts of Mindanao.

Nevertheless, Valmoria said the NCRPO has been deploying personnel at places of convergence like the Metro Rail Transit, Light Rail Transit and the Philippine National Railway, vital government and private installations.

“Even without threat, we are deploying our forces in said areas as part of our target hardening measures,” he said.

The NCRPO chief also said security measures like checkpoint operations have been put in place in all entry and exit points of Metro Manila.

Security alert was raised in Davao City and Cagayan de Oro allegedly due to threats from the Abu Sayyaf, which wants to sow terror in retaliation for the raid of one of their bomb factories last month.

The bomb-making expert Abdul Basit Usman eluded arresting officers.

But military and police intelligence agents are pressing their hunt for Usman.

Sources said if there are people capable of carrying out terrorist activities in urban centers, it would be Usman and his associates in the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and the Abu Sayyaf.

Meanwhile, Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad yesterday suggested that local officials in Davao and religious leaders in the area should hold a dialogue.

Jumoad believes the terror threat was real and everybody should remain vigilant.

“Everybody must be involved in order to have peace,” Jumoad said. – With Non Alquitran, Evelyn Macairan, Jaime Laude