PNP chief inspects terror targets

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Calderon maintained that there is no danger of terror attacks in Metro Manila even as he visited vital installations and possible terror targets yesterday, the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the US.

Calderon personally led police officials in the whole-day inspection of security measures in Manila, Pasay City, Pasig City and Caloocan City. The PNP chief said he was satisfied with security preparations by the local police in their respective areas of responsibility.

"We want to make sure that our security measures are all in place and we want to disprove reports and insinuations that the government is incapable of preventing terror attacks," Calderon said.

His first stop was the oil depot in Pandacan, Manila.

Calderon met with the top security officers of the Pandacan oil depot and ordered the deployment of additional PNP Special Action Force policemen to a new bridge that connects Quirino Avenue to Sta. Mesa in Manila.

The Pandacan depot is considered a vital installation in Metro Manila in terms of security because the facility houses several oil refineries that are susceptible to terror attacks.

Calderon also visited the Luneta police precinct and the Doña Josefa Apartments along Quirino Avenue, where the terror group led by Ramsi Yousef hatched Oplan Bojinka (Fire in the Sky), considered the initial planning stage for the implementation of the 9/11 attacks.

There have been reports that the use of liquid bombs was also first conceptualized at the Doña Josefa building.

"People inside the Doña Josefa building are mostly Muslims, but they are peace-loving people," a police officer told Camp Crame reporters, who joined the inspections.

From the Doña Josefa building, Calderon’s group proceeded to the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, where he had a dialogue with the mall security personnel.

The Mall of Asia, the country’s largest mall, has become the latest shopping destination and a tourist attraction. The PNP inspection group also visited the Domestic Airport in Pasay City.

"I think there is no imminent danger of terror attacks in the places we visited and I am satisfied with the troop deployments there. Inspections at the airport have been meticulous and wala talagang makakalusot," he said.

Calderon was accompanied by Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr., PNP deputy chief for administration (DCA); Chief Superintendent Rey Roderos, deputy chief of Directorate for Intelligence (DI), Chief Superintendent Wilfredo Garcia, PNP director for operations, Director Joey Salvacion, director for logistics and Director Emmanuel Carta, PNP director for police civil relations.