MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III said Wednesday that the threat of terrorist attacks on Metro Manila could remain until next year’s mid-term elections.
Aquino said he issued the order to Secretaries Jesse Robredo of the Interior and Voltaire Gazmin of Defense, and to Armed Forces chief Lieutenant General Jessie Dellosa and Philippine National Police Director General Nicanor Bartolome on Tuesday, in the wake of the assassination attempt on Cotabato City Vice Mayor Muslimin Sema.
On Sunday, Aquino personally bared a purported terrorist plan to attack Monday’s procession of the Black Nazarene, which attracts millions of devotees every year. No attack happened.
“I met them precisely on the plan to minimize (terror) threats such as this (purported threat against the procession). I gave them quite a number of directives … we are wondering whether the attack on Vice Mayor Sema was election-related and perhaps it is a call on us to implement operations that will ensure peaceful relations next year but actually as early as this year,” Aquino said.
Reports said Sema, who had served as mayor before running for his present post in 2010, was eyeing a comeback for the top city post next year.
Aquino, explaining why he issued the warning on Sunday, cited “sightings of alleged perpetrators, alleged terrorists, and supposed sightings of (a) device or devices that could have been used for it. Now, there’s a threat and so far as we have not apprehended any individual so then it remains.”
Security forces, who have maintained their heightened alert level even after the Black Nazarene procession, said “six to nine” alleged terrorists arrived in Metro Manila in August last year.
Malacanang has ordered security agencies to harden potential targets such as malls and vital installations in the national capital.
http://interaksyon.net/article/21671/terror-threat-could-stay-until-2013-polls---aquino
0 comments:
Post a Comment