POLICE UNITS STEP-UP SECURITY MEASURES FOR 9/11
PNP Chief, Director General Oscar C Calderon is satisfied with the security measures that were put in place by police units as preemptive security measures against possible terrorist actions in connection with the fifth anniversary of 9/11.
“Although there is no imminent or direct threat on any specific target, all our security measures are in place to guard vital facilities and infrastructure against any terrorist activity, and police units are on alert to respond to any contingency,” Calderon said.
Intelligence and security forces of the PNP are maintaining a high-state of vigilance against known terrorist organizations that are operating in the country, including foreign personalities that have joined local groups.
Well ahead of the 9/11 anniversary on Monday, Calderon alerted all PNP units last week to implement security measures to thwart any attempt by local terrorist groups to stage "sympathy attacks" on soft targets.
“The 3-Tiered Defense System has been activated in all Police Regional Offices in the country, and operating units have been tasked to mobilize all available resources to beef-up security where it is needed,” the Chief PNP said.
The 3-Tiered Defense System is a strategic measure that involves Intelligence, Target-hardening, and Incident Management as a pro-active response against threats and incidents of terrorism.
Calderon has ordered the Aviation Security Group to insure 100% availability of all personnel and resources to implement the heightened security procedures in all international airports and domestic air terminals in the country.
At the same time, Calderon alerted the Special Action Force to provide possible support to the Aviation Security Group in terms of troop augmentation, equipment and tactical response.
Similarly stringent security measures are being implemented by the Maritime Group in the country's seaports, while local police units remain on-guard in overland transportation terminals including mass transport systems, Calderon said.
“Task Force Sanglahi, which is the intelligence backbone of the anti-terrorism effort is doing an excellent job of continuously monitoring the movement and activities of known terrorist groups to keep a step ahead of their plans,” the Chief PNP said.
In his report to Calderon, Senior Superintendent Romeo Ricardo, Director of the PNP Intelligence Group and concurrent head of Task Force Sanglahi, said continuous manhunt and pursuit operations are underway against members of the Jemaah Islamiya and Wakalah Hudaibiyah who have reportedly immersed into cells of local terrorist groups particularly the Abu Sayyaf and the Rajah Solaiman Movement.
“With the apparent leadership vacuum in the RSM as a result of the arrest of its key leaders, some RSIM members may either form or join other organized Islamic extremist groups,” Ricardo told the Chief PNP.
Over the past four years since 9/11, Task Force Sanglahi has contributed significantly in suppressing both domestic and international terrorism thru the sharing of intelligence information to counterpart agencies of various countries particularly ASEAN member countries, Australia, USA, Japan, European countries and Israel.
Some of the more notorious terrorist personalities captured since were Muklis YUNOS of the MILF Special Operations Group; Taufek REFKI the third in command of the Wakalah Hudaibiyah cell of Jemaah Islamiya; Edzmar HAYUDINI and Yakob BASUG, two of the most elusive operatives of the Abu Sayyaf; Russian Idris Abdulmahid KHOROLIN and Jordanian Mohammad Adel Suleiman ALMOMANI, both suspected as conduits of terrorist financing; and several other suspects behind terrorist incidents in the country.
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