Local terrorists incapable of attacking MManila — officials
Local terrorist organizations have no capability to attack Metro Manila these days, security officials said Monday, noting that terror alert level in the metro remains at low to moderate. National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia said this was because of the ongoing military operations in Sulu and Basilan provinces – bailiwicks of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group – in southern Philippines. "Active military operations in the provinces of Sulu and Basilan are likely responsible for preventing terrorists which are based on those areas from being able to mount, prepare, and plan for the conduct of a terrorist attack outside their area of responsibility," said Garcia at a press briefing. Garcia based his assessment from information coming from the recently retired commander of the Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), Lt. Gen. Ben Dolorfino. Monday’s press briefing was held at the Presidential Situation Room, a building in Malacanang Park that serves as the national crisis management operations center where officials monitor and discuss security reports. Garcia’s statement supported President Benigno Aquino III’s earlier pronouncement that the travel advisories issued by the US and five other countries warning of possible terror attacks in the Philippines have no adequate basis. Money problem In an ambush interview after the press briefing, Garcia said the lack of capability of local terrorist groups to launch attacks in Metro Manila may also be due to lack of funding from international terror groups. “Money translates to capability," said Garcia, a former director general of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA). NICA assistant director general Concepcion Clamor said at the same press conference that the alert level in Metro Manila remains at low or moderate, which Garcia said has been the alert level “for some time." A low alert level means there is no information to suggest a specific and imminent terror threat and no monitored intent and capability of terror groups to launch an attack. A moderate alert level, meanwhile, means a terror attack is possible but not likely, and that intent is present but capability is not monitored by authorities. Safe and secure “Radical groups, they always have the intent to attack the metropolis, not only Metro Manila but all other major cities in the country. The intention has always been there so we've maintained moderate or low level for Metro Manila," said Clamor. Garcia said that even though Metro Manila is only at low to moderate alert level, government forces often enforce security measures fit for level 3 (high) or level 4 (extreme) alerts “just to make sure that our capital is safe and secure." The military and police remained on the highest alert in Metro Manila after the All Saints’ Day weekend after the United States and other countries issued the travel advisories. For Mindanao, Clamor said there are specific provinces and municipalities in Regions 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), 10 (Northern Mindanao), 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN) and the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao where security forces are on red alert. The rest of the country is at low threat alert level, she said. - KBK, GMANews.TV