Luzon PNP placed under high alert after bombings

More cops fielded in Cordillera 

POLICE in Luzon were placed under heightened alert to prevent  spillover of bomb attacks following the deadly Jolo Cathedral twin bombings in Sulu that left 20 people dead and more than 100 others injured.

Senior Supt. Bernard Banac, spokesman of the Philippine National Police, said the alert status order mandates all police commanders to implement the necessary preventive measures that would deny any group to carry out similar attacks in their respective turfs.

In the Cordillera, more police officers will be fielded during the election season.

This after the Police Regional Office Cordillera administered on Tuesday the oath of office to 25 new non-uniformed personnel (NUP) and the promotion of 17 others.

“The alert condition aims to ensure that no similar plans of terrorist groups will be carried out in other regions,” said Banac.

Under the heightened alert status, all police commanders are directed to ensure the readiness of at least 50 percent of their manpower and other resources for any eventuality and preventive security measures.

The entire Mindanao has been under martial law since the Marawi siege in May 2017.

The police commanders are also tasked to review and update their respective intelligence data and gathering.
“The heightened alert condition also called for intensified checkpoint operations and strict implementation of gun ban,” said Banac.

On Sunday morning, two cellphone-detonated bombs ripped through a packed Jolo Cathedral. The explosion occurred during the Second Reading portion of the mass.

The two bombs went off at 15- to 20-second interval, which further bolstered the police theory that the bombers used cellphone-detonated improvised explosive devices.

With the history of bomb attacks especially in Metro Manila, the PNP leadership wanted to make sure that those planning any future attack will not succeed, considering that some members of the Abu Sayyaf Group and extremist groups have been arrested in the metropolis.

Security forces are eyeing the involvement of Abu Sayyaf Group in the Jolo Cathedral blast. Sulu and Basilan are considered as stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf.

Banac, however, said that they have not received serious threats of bomb attacks in Metro Manila or any other part of the country outside Mindanao. But he said they are not taking any chances.

“Regional directors were instructed to initiate further security measures to preempt and prevent similar incidents to happen,” said Banac.

“Our regional directors were also given discretionary authority to raise alert conditions in their areas of responsibility as deemed necessary,” he added.

Prior to the Jolo Cathedral, or the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral, blast, local Church authorities have been receiving threats from local terror groups, according to PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde.

In fact, Albayalde said that the Jolo Cathedal bombing on Jan. 27 was the eighth attack.

But it was the first time that a bomb went off inside the church.

“Some of these attacks in the past were grenade-throwing while some are assassinations of Church helpers. The priests (in Sulu) are constantly under threat ever since,” said Albayalde.

In Cordillera, Chief Supt. Rolando Nana, PROCOR regional director.

said, “The new employees will be a great help to the uniformed personnel when it comes to administrative works in the stations especially that the police should be more visible in the streets this election period.”

Nana added that policemen who stay in the stations to do paper works and other administrative matters can now be tapped in peace and order operations as these functions will be performed by the NUP.

He said the 25 newly-hired personnel were chosen from among the numerous qualified applicants who have undergone a series of screening by the PROCOR's Placement and Promotion Board.

Nana said PROCOR is also looking forward to increasing the quota in the recruitment of NUP.

“Especially this election, we need more warm bodies of policemen to help secure the region,” Nana said.

The 42 appointed and promoted NUP will be distributed in the different police stations in the provincial and city police offices in the Cordillera. With a report from PNA