The heightened alert status came amid intelligence reports that the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) planned to bomb power plants in North and South Luzon provinces.
Meanwhile, PNP Director General Arturo Lomibao hailed the sentencing of the three terrorists convicted by a Makati judge of planning and conducting the Makati Valentine’s Day bombing.
PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil said the alert status was upgraded beginning 6 a.m. yesterday to prevent possible retaliatory attacks by JI and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) following the conviction of Rohmat Abdurrohim, an Indonesian described as a senior leader of the JI terrorist network, and ASG members Gamal Baharan and Angelo Trinidad.
Makati Trial Court Judge Marissa Guillen found all three guilty of committing the February 14 bombing of a passenger bus in Manila’s financial district that killed 4 people and injured at least 60 others.
The three were sentenced to die by lethal injection.
Bataoil said Lomibao has ordered high police visibility in public places, cemeteries, malls, bus terminals, seaports, airports, public markets, particularly in Mindanao and other vital installations.
Intelligence reports said the terrorist network planned to conduct attacks in Metro Manila and other parts of the country in retaliation for the conviction of its members.
The al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf had claimed responsibility for the blasts that it said were in retaliation for a military offensive against militants.
Bataoil also confirmed intelligence reports that the CPP-NPA Special Operating Group (SOG) planned to bomb power plants located in the Southern Tagalog provinces and in Northern Luzon.
The PNP spokesman did not specify which power plants were targetted for bombing.
Meanwhile, security in Metro Manila was beefed up Friday with the 17,000strong National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) placed on full alert ahead of the All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day celebration.
NCRPO Director Vidal Querol said at least 1,000 policemen were deployed to secure transport terminals, railways and other busy establishments and places.
Querol said the number of policemen on patrol would be increased to 2,500 on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, 3,000 civilian volunteers will also be on hand to assist the public, particularly motorists on the North and South Luzon Expressways heading to the provinces.
"The threat of terror is always there. I appeal to the public to cooperate with thorough inspections at the terminals and cemeteries," Querol said.
Army, CAFGU foil
heavy NPA attack
on headquarters
By MIKE U. CRISMUNDO
Elements of the Philippine Army (PA) and the Citizens Auxiliary Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) foiled a heavy New People’s Army (NPA) attack on their headquarters in a three-hour gunbattle at Sitio Tandawan, Barangay Loyola, Hinatuan town, Surigao del Sur, last Friday morning, a regional Army spokesman reported yesterday.
Reports said an estimated 60 NPA rebels, armed with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and other high-powered weapons, attacked the Tandawan headquarters of Delta Company, 23rd Infantry Battalion at 10 o’clock in the morning in three columns and managed to penetrate the second perimeter defense of the headquarters.
However, regional Army spokesman Lt. Col. Francisco I. Simbajon said the Tandawan PA-CAFGU force fought back and repelled the attacking rebel forces which were forced to withdraw at 12:30 p.m. and flee to a nearby forest.
The rebel force was reportedly led by Nilo Camino, alias "Commander Wako or Bong’’ of the CPP-NPA Front Committee 14 of the Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).
Simbajon denied reports that the Tandawan PACAFGU headquarters was overran by the attacking rebel force. "This is not true,’’ he said. "They failed to overrun the headquarters.’’
No casualty was reported on the government side while the military said at least 10 NPA rebels were seriously wounded and were seen being dragged by their comrades, the military said.
However, NDF-NEMRC spokesman, Ka Malaya, categorically denied this report in a telephone interview over a radio station in Butuan City yesterday morning.
Combat troops of the 23rd Infantry are conducting hot pursuit operations against the fleeing rebel forces with the Surigao del Sur provincial police providing blocking force.
Village folk in Tandawan and Loyola were forced to shut their houses while farmer stopped working on fields when heavy fighting erupted between government troops and rebel forces last Friday morning, barangay officials said.
Brig. Gen. Rogelio M. Rosete, the new acting area commander of the Army’s Northern, Northeastern and Southern Mindanao Fourth Infantry (Diamond) Division ordered Col. Ricardo David, commanding officer of Caraga region 402nd Infantry (Stingers) Brigade based in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur to oversee the pursuit operation against the fleeing rebels.
Simbajon said that Rosete also ordered a check of hospitals in Surigao for possible wounded rebels.
