Police officer seeks law vs terrorism

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Police Senior Supt. Rodolfo Mendoza Jr., provincial director, said that the release of the six suspected terrorists only confirms that there is really a need for a comprehensive anti-terrorism law.

In reality, the so-called counter-terrorism operations of the PNP is merely a campaign against loose firearms and explosives since we have no well-defined laws against terrorism," he complained.

He said he is saddened because although they captured a big-time terrorist group with high-powered firearms, explosives and subversive documents, the only charge they could file against them is violation of PD 1866 which is a bailable offense.

Mendoza has urged lawmakers to finalize and approve a comprehensive anti-terrorism bill which he said would greatly help in safeguarding the Filipino people from the threats of terrorism.

Mendoza said that the six arrested Muslim converts in Anda town last May 2 were suspected to have links with the Al Qaeda network. They were detained at the Lingayen jail for illegal possession of firearms and explosives but were released Wednesday afternoon after posting a P60,000 bail bond each.

Mendoza identified that the suspects who were allegedly putting up a terrorist camp in barangay Mal-ong, Anda, as: Dawud Santos, Pio de Vera, Marvelo Egil, Allan Borloagdatan, Redendo Dellosa and Angelo Trinidad. They have been consistently claiming they were not terrorists but merely Islamic students of the Madrasah. But Mendoza said debriefing on the suspects and the analysis of documents seized from them belie their statements. — Eva de Leon