DND checking claims 10 terrorists in Mindanao

The Department of National Defense (DND) said it was checking an intelligence analyst's claims that at least 10 foreign terrorist have recently entered the country and are allegedly meeting with members of the Abu Sayyaf and other terrorist groups. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the claims were made by Prof. Rommel Banlaoi of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence, and Terrorism, whom the DND described as a “respectable researcher." “We will still have to verify these reports. He is a respectable researcher, we cannot discount the possibility but we will have to see if we have enough information regarding that," Gazmin told reporters after the DND’s celebration of its 71st foundation anniversary. Gazmin reassured the public that government security forces are prepared for terrorism threats from either from foreign or local organizations. “If there are information on these terrorists, the warnings, all these are given a serious look. We are not putting this aside and instead, we are tightening security in populated areas, ports, airports, sea ports and bus stations to prevent incidents (of bombing)," he said. Asked if there was indeed a terrorist threat on the Philippines, Gazmin said: “There are always threats, there are threats anywhere but all these, we are taking seriously. You cannot say there is none because we have enemies of the state. As long as there are enemies of the state, you cant say there is none." Meanwhile, PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Agrimero Cruz said the police have no record of the supposed entry of the 10 foreign terrorists. However, Cruz said they have information about fresh movements of local terrorists. –VVP, GMANews.TV