PNP News Releases 2005

AGLIPAY PLACES PNP ON FULL ALERT

PNP Chief, Director General Edgar B Aglipay today placed the entire 114,000-strong National Police on “full alert” status and maximum operational readiness to respond to any contingency.

Effective 12:00 noon today, the maximum alert level was raised in all PNP Units nationwide as a preventive measure to thwart all possible terrorist and criminal threats. Full alert requires all PNP personnel to report to station, and all leaves of absence are cancelled. According to PNP Spokesman, Chief Superintendent Joel R Goltiao, all Police Regional Offices and National Support Units were directed to implement their respective security plans to provide protection to vital installations, economic keypoints, and places of convergence.

Goltiao said observer teams will conduct random inspection to assess the operational readiness of PNP Units. Aglipay specifically directed the Aviation Security Group to implement its security plan for the country's five international airports and over 30 domestic air terminals in coordination with other agencies involved in air transport security.

The Maritime Group was directed to insure security in domestic seaports of the country and to assist port security personnel in conducting security inspection of passengers and cargo.

Likewise, Aglipay directed the Police Security and Protection Office (PCPO) to field all available personnel and augment security detail to foreign embassies, consular offices, and other diplomatic missions in the Philippines .

The Directorate for Operations earlier issued a memorandum directing all local police units to conduct mobile checkpoints in their areas of responsibility to check the movement of lawless elements especially those carrying weapons. PNP Units were also directed to enhance their respective camp or station defense plans particularly in remote station of the country. Warnings have been raised within the international community of possible terrorist activities in connection with the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in the United States.

The alert was raised by the National Police in the wake of this morning's car bomb attack at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta , Indonesia , where the Jemaah Islamiya, a regional cell of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network of Osama Bin Laden is known to operate.