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Cops push CCTV in business establishments to thwart bombers


MANILA, Philippines - A campaign to have traders install closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems in their establishments tops the Philippine National Police’s efforts to prevent a repeat of the deadly bombings in Mindanao. PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina said Wednesday this will complement heightened police visibility and checkpoint operations against potential terrorists and bombers. “We will convince traders to set up CCTV systems in their malls and terminals. In the meantime, we will increase our presence so we can respond quickly to eventualities)," Espina said in a radio interview. CCTV is often used for surveillance in areas that may need monitoring such as malls, airports, military installations and convenience shops. The PNP has installed 56 TV cameras in strategic areas in Metro Manila as part of the efforts to reduce crime. For its part, the Philippine Coast Guard intensified security procedures in major ports to prevent the possibility of bombers getting to Metro Manila and other areas. Espina said that PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa has ordered the stepping up security in all places of public convergence, heightening visibility and setting up checkpoints. On Tuesday, Verzosa disclosed the PNP is on full alert in Mindanao and heightened alert in other areas of the country following the bombings. Espina also belied claims police were lax when the bombings occurred, but admitted they were lacking in target-hardening. “Lahat naman alertado pero kung napapansin ninyo tinanim ang bomba sa soft target kaya iba ang utos ng Chief PNP. Puntahan ng kapulisan kasama ng AFP ang soft target at doon magbigay ng kaukulang pansin (All of us have been alert but the bomb was placed in a soft target. That’s why the Chief PNP ordered us to harden these soft targets)," he said. Meanwhile, Coast Guard commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said he has ordered K-9 bomb sniffers and Special Operations Group divers deployed to keep watch over ports. Tamayo also said he expects sea marshals, teams that board passenger ships to ferret out terrorists and criminals, to detect and seize explosives and bombs aboard such vessels. Sea marshals, who include members of the police and Navy, were first deployed in 2004 in the wake of a deadly explosion aboard a SuperFerry vessel. “Kung merong kaduda-dudang bagay explosives o bomba may capability ang sea marshals ma-detect ito (If there are explosives or bombs our sea marshals have the capability to detect them)," Tamayo said in an interview on dwIZ radio. He also said the Coast Guard will coordinate closely with port and Customs police in ports. - GMANews.TV
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