Police confirm: No Abu on Olango

CEBU, Philippines - Police warned the public anew against sharing unconfirmed information on social media following the panic caused by reports of rebels allegedly sighted on Olango Island in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu.

Chief Inspector Junnel Caadlawon, operations head of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, said the report about two alleged Abu Sayyaf members reportedly hiding at a field of mangroves in Sito Bas Coral, Barangay San Vicente is false.

“Business as usual ra man, wala’y nahitabong unusual. Normal ra man gihapon ang situation diri, ang panginabuhi,” Caadlawon said.

Members of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, Olango Police Station, and 47th Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army conducted clearing operations in the area from 5 a.m. to 12 midday yesterday.

The items recovered from the area were reportedly what the two rebels used but Caadlawon said this could not be confirmed. He said the items may just have been left there by fishermen.

Among those recovered were a green hammock, a tin can, a bowl of leftover food, some sack cloths, a small package box, a few stalks of horseradish leaves (kamunggay), and some dried fish.

“Posible nga naa’y tawo nga ni-kuan (ni-stay) ngadto pero di nato ma-identify kung kinsang tawhana," Caadlawon said.

Crossing the sea, Olango Island is  about  26.6  kilometers away from Inabanga town in Bohol where government troops clashed with Abu Sayyaf members last week.

“Mao gyud na atong gitan-aw, kay kung sila, unsa ilahang gisakyan (padung dinhi)” Caadlawon added.

Caadlawon said about posting unverified information online:

“Ang unusual (incidents), isulti dayon sa amoa (police officers). Di magpataka’g taho. It is good being vigilant. They should not add or create panic to the public,” he said.

Senior Supt. Rommel Cabagnot, director of the Lapu-Lapu City Police, said those posting unconfirmed reports online, might just be seeking attention.

"Niari ta di buot pasabot naa na dayon ingana. Niari ta kay naniguro lang ta.Kaning uban nato kababayan wa’y mabuhat, magpost lang og bisag unsa," he said.

Intervention

In Cebu City, Senior Supt. Joel Doria, chief of the city police, said police desks are present at the Pasil Fish Port.

This was his instruction to his personnel and station commander at the San Nicolas Police Station because the area is a very busy spot.

“Sabi ko sa kanila, i-maintain nila yun police assistance desks doon para at least maging (way of) prevention. Ma-pre-empt na nila kung anuman ang pwedeng mangyari doon sa area,” Doria said.

The police desks were put in place in line with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit meetings from April 3 to April 7 and for the Holy Week.

Senior Insp. Keith Andaya of the San Nicolas Police said maximum security was implemented in the area, which faces Inabanga and Clarin in Bohol.

The Pasil Fish Port is 61.2 kilometers away from Clarin and Inabanga.

“Gi-maximize namo ang concentration sa pag-provide og security sa fish port,” Andaya said.

Regular checkpoints are implemented on passenger boats arriving in Pasil from Clarin and Inabanga.

“Amo buhaton, mo-sugat mi, mo-check sa mga passengers og sa ilahang mga gamit,” Andaya added.

Police also check passenger vessels before departure.

At least 30 motorized pumpboats ferries passengers daily.  From Pasil to Inabanga and Clarin, boats operates from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., while Pasil to Kalibutan Island operates from 1:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.

Andaya said police preserves their 24-hour security and assures that safety will be maintained in the area.

Councilor David Tumulak, chairman of the City Council’s committee on public safety and order, also asked members of fisher folk associations to help monitor coastal areas.

Tumulak said the fisher folk are the city’s first line of defense.

“Kini sila (fishermen) maoy first line of defense sa atong coastal areas, especially sa pag monitor sa atong mga kadagatan, kay ato man gung nadungog nga duna nay pagtabok sa mga gidudahang Abu Sayyaf sa mga isla na duol sa syudad sa Sugbo,” he said.

He asked that fisher folk inform law enforcers immediately if they spot suspicious boats entering the city’s coastline.

“They should inform us para sad ang atong mga law enforcers diri sa patag ug ingon man ngadto sa kadagatan, maka-cordon ug maka-verify kung kinsa ning mga sakayan na musulod ug muguwa diri sa atong territorial waters,” Tumulak said.

Romeo Trazona, president of the Panaghugpong sa Mananagat Dakbayan sa Sugbo (PAMADASU), said he will channel the city’s request to fellow fishermen.

"Ako ni ipadangat didto sa kauban nakong mga mananagat … nga gitagaan mi ug advisory nga kinahanglan mag amping ug muhatag ug information kung naa miy makita na di namo kasinati – labi na mga armado (civilians) didto sa police ug sa ubang ahensya sa gobyerno para marespondehan,” he said.

With prevailing reports of ASG sightings here, Tumulak advised the public to put island hopping plans on hold.

“Kining atua is just a request na for the meantime, while wala pa ma-resolve ang issue about sa presence of Abu Sayyaf, ila usang i-postpone ilang island-hopping kay ang atong mga law enforcers, nag monitor sad sa atong kadagatan. Gumikan aning daghan kaayo’g pump boats karon, mabahin ang pag-focus sa atong maritime police, navy, ug coast guard; lakip na ang atuang fisherfolks kay daghan man kaayu ning mga pump boats nga sige ug suroy-suroy sa mga isla duol sa Sugbo,” he added.

He admitted that the advisory will affect the pump boat rental business here but emphasized that safety of its residents is the city’s top priority.

“Di man gud tah makapasalig sa atong mga katawhan sa syudad sa Sugbo nga they are all secured; di ta makahatag ug siguro niana,” he said.

“Ang importante, ang tanan tao mu-cooperate pinaagi sa paghatag sa mga information didto sa kapulisan …  Mas maayo man gud ng maniguro ta na luwas ta,” he said.

Check points are in place in the city and Tumulak said he plans of putting signages on pump boats to identify them as coming from Cebu City.

Oslob

Meanwhile, the six men held in Oslob for 17 hours are not members of the Abu Sayyaf, said Police Supt. Jaime Quiocho, chief of the Police Community Relations Office.

The six men are natives of Lanao Del Norte. They were held by police after they became subjects of verification when they reportedly matched the information relayed by a security guard of a clinic in Balamban town.

The guard said a group of suspicious-looking people on board a Tamaraw FX went to the clinic, one of whom was wounded in the foot.

Suspecting that the person who was wounded was one of those injured in the clash between government troops and Abu Sayyaf members in Bohol, authorities quickly conducted a checkpoint.

“A report from a security guard of a clinic in Balamban informing that a suspicious group of six persons were reportedly had a check-up dahil may sugat. Immediately we passed the report to all the stations to conduct a checkpoint so, from Balamban to Oslob,” Quiocho said.

The six were intercepted at the checkpoint at the national highway in Oslob and were brought to the police station for questioning and verification.

 “Negative naman. Reportedly ay may sugat pero kinorrect natin ito dahil baka isa ito sa mga biktima ng Bohol incident diba, tsineck natin… baka totoo nga. Pero hindi naman, ang sinasabing sugat ay isa pa lang sexually transmitted disease,” he added.

The police also found that the group came from Bantayan Island to sell ready to wear clothes and toys during the Holy Week. They will go to Negros next to sell their goods there.

Quiocho said the release took longer than expected because they had to wait for the report from the clinic in Balamban.

“Siyempre, kailangan ding makuha ang report from the clinic where one had his check-up so from Oslob going to Balamban, siyempre matagal din ang oras na iyun na makuha iyung report so we will have a basis kung ano ba talaga ang rason kung bakit sila nagpa-check up doon sa clinic,” he said. E. Valizado (FREEMAN)