Philippines Under Terror Alert Level 3 After Foiled Bomb Attack, Says PNP Chief
Terror alert level 3 was raised nationwide after the arrest
of two suspected terrorists allegedly behind the foiled bombing attempt near
the United States Embassy in Manila last Monday, November 28.
In a press conference in Camp Crame, Quezon City on
Thursday, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Ronald “Bato”
Dela Rosa said that the alert level 3 or “full alert status” means there is a
stricter implementation of security measures, especially on the conduct of
random checkpoints, increase intelligence activities, and other law enforcement
operations.
In addition, Dela Rosa also advised the public to be alert,
vigilant, and observant, but not to panic.
According to the PNP Chief, the public has nothing to be
worried about even if the terror alert level 3 is raised nationwide, because he
issued directives to the regional police directors to intensify security
measures in highly-urbanized cities.
Furthermore, Dela Rosa made the statement after the PNP
presented to media on Thursday two of the five suspects in the attempted
bombing in the embassy.
The two suspects were identified as Rayson “Rashid” Kilala
Sakdal and Jiaher Guinar.
Moreover, Dela Rosa said Rashid, who is a returnee to the
Islamic faith and a religious preacher in Bulacan, was the one who placed the
improvised explosive device (IED) inside a trash bin, while Guinar was assigned
as the trigger man.
Rashid admitted that their first target was Luneta Park but
they were “bothered by their conscience” and instead planted the IED near the
US Embassy.
The suspects’ three accomplices transported the IED from
Central Mindanao to Metro Manila, Dela Rosa said.
He said the two suspects are members of the Ansar Khalifa
terror group, which has direct links with the Maute terror group that is now
the center of military operations in Butig, Lanao del Sur.
The PNP is now hunting down the three accomplices of Rasid
and Guinar who are believed to have returned to Marawi City, Lanao del Sur.
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin
Andanar assured the Filipino people that they will still have a “normal life”
amid the announcement that the Philippines is now under terror alert level 3
since the alert is consistent with the declaration of state of national
emergency declared by President Rodrigo Duterte after the Davao bombing last
September.
“We assure the public that there will be no disruption in
their normal lives even if we have raised our security level in the same vein
that there was no change in the way they live, work, or conduct business now
that the country is under state of national emergency on the account of lawless
violence,” Andanar said.
Andanar also added that there will be no change in the way
the people “live, work, or conduct business.”
The purpose of implementing the alert level three is to put
the whole police force in extreme alert against terrorists who might commit
similar acts of planting bombs in Metro Manila.
Philippines Under Terror Alert Level 3 After Foiled Bomb Attack, Says PNP Chief
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December 01, 2016
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