Extreme-Severe terror level still up in Central and Western Mindanao

By Ronron
June 5, 2007

The government is maintaining a high alert level against terrorism in Central and Western Mindanao this month following the series of bombings that disrupted the recently concluded May 14 polls, a military spokesman said Tuesday.

But Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Public Information Officer (PIO) Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro could not say if the prevailing EXTREME SEVERE level in Region 12 and in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has anything to do with the travel advisory issued over the weekend by the US Embassy in Manila for its citizens in the country.

Bacarro said the alert level was handed down by the National Intelligence Council (NIC) after assessing the situation in said regions.

“On the part of the AFP, based on previous incidents wherein there were successive bombings that took place in Tacurong City (in Sultan Kudarat province), Cotabato City, and Shariff Kabunsuan during and after the elections, that’s the basis why we considered the need to raise the alert level in the area,” explained Bacarro.

An Extreme-Severe terror alert means that a terrorist attack is highly likely.

In its June 1, 2007 advisory, the US Embassy said American citizens “should exercise extreme caution in Central Mindanao” because “terrorists may be planning to carry out bombings at bus terminals and public market places in Kidapawan (City) and Makilala (town) in North Cotabato over the next several days.”

“US citizens living and working in central Mindanao are urged to reassess their personal security and to keep a low profile, and should avoid public gathering places,” it said.

Bacarro said he is not “in a position to answer” if the basis of the US Embassy in its advisory is the information that the military possesses about possible terrorist attacks.

“We cannot prevent a country from making such an advisory because it is the responsibility of this country to protect the interest of their citizens,” Bacarro said.

Meanwhile, Bacarro pointed out that the alert level does not require, however, additional deployment of troops, rather just reinforcement of the existing security measures in the area like patrolling and conduct of checkpoints.

The government has laid down four terror alert levels, beginning with Low, which means there is no monitored intent and capability to attack; followed by Moderate, which means that a terrorist attack is possible but not likely to happen; and then High, which means a terrorist attack is a strong possibility within a certain period of time.

The highest level, Extreme, is classified further into two: Extreme Severe, and Extreme Critical, which means that a terrorist attack has occurred, or has just been preempted, and follow-on attacks are expected./DMS