WV security measures intensified amid terror threat
Various police units in Western Visayas have stepped up their security measures following the reported imminent threat in the country, particularly in Metro Manila.
Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol Jr., police regional director, said there are no reports of such danger spilling over to Western Visayas, still he has ordered enhanced security measures in major seaports, airports, and terminals in the region.
“We have received instructions from the national headquarters,” he said, adding that pre-emptive measures include monitoring of the presence of groups that may sow terror.
Querol said the police is keeping a tight watch on tourist areas like Boracay Island in Aklan, a most likely target.
Supt. Vicente Armada, chief of Aviation Security Group 6, said they have also acted on the instructions by enhancing security methods, including stricter inspection among passengers.
In time for intensified security actions, the X-ray machine of the Iloilo airport has been fixed more than a week ago.
Before that, airport personnel had to resort to manual inspection, Armada said.
He said he instructed all station chiefs of airports in Western Visayas to enhance their security measures especially in the cargo department.
At the Iloilo Airport, there is no X-ray machine that scans cargoes.
He said he has asked the airline companies to provide their own X-ray for cargoes.
“As we have no X-ray machine, I have posted a policemen to manually inspect the cargoes,” he said.
Earlier, countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia issued separate travel advisories, warning their nationals to exercise a high degree of caution in the Philippines because of the high threat of terrorist attack.
The terror threat came after authorities on three continents seized two explosive packages addressed to Chicago-area synagogues and packed aboard cargo jets, thwarting multiple terrorist attacks aimed at the US from Yemen.
One of the packages was found aboard a cargo plane in Dubai while the other was en route to England.
Meanwhile, Malacañang has tasked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to coordinate with the embassies of the five countries to downgrade their travel warnings against the Philippines.
“It is a global threat that is why our defense security establishments followed suit. This was the result of continuing multilateral intelligence coordination and exchange of information with friendly nations,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma said.
Coloma also called on the public to exercise care, caution, vigilance and preparedness in spite of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ pronouncement that there is no real threat.*
