Aquino: No spillover of Sulu violence in Metro Manila

(Updated 9:55 p.m.) The violence that marred Christmas Day in Sulu province, where a bomb exploded in the middle of a Mass in a Catholic chapel, will not spill over to Metro Manila, President Benigno Aquino III said Tuesday. The President gave the assurance in a text message to GMANews.TV. “No credible reports of a spillover in [National Capital Region]," he said. The chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) deployed additional personnel in the capital region, saying it was more in connection with the New Year celebrations than any terrorist threat. On Monday, Aquino noted a “new terror campaign" in southern Philippines, citing intelligence reports. Sulu is a known bailiwick of the notorious al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, which, according to the police, is plotting to attack churches, including Asturias Evangelical Chapel in Jolo, Sulu. Twelve people, including two priests and a nine-year-old girl, were hurt in the blast that rocked Asturias Evangelical Chapel on Dec. 25. Pope Benedict XVI condemned the incident. Police deployment NCRPO chief Director Nicanor Bartolome said the deployment of policemen in Metro Manila was done to ensure the safety of residents during the New Year revelry. “From what we see, there is no chance of a spillover of the violence in Jolo into Metro Manila. But I have ordered the deployment of added personnel to make sure residents are safe as they welcome the New Year," Bartolome said in Filipino in an interview on dzXL radio Tuesday. “We are keeping watch over populated places. We expect many people to be in the streets as New Year approaches, probably even more than those seen in the days before Christmas," he added. He said based on their information, there is no “specific threats" in Metro Manila coming from terrorist organizations. In a separate interview by GMANews.TV, Bartolome admitted that the Sulu bombing has prompted the NCRPO to re-assess the deployment of their forces in Metro Manila. He said the 7,000 policemen deployed in Metro Manila to secure public places before Christmas until the new Year will remain on guard for any untoward incidents. Bartolome made the statement two days before the 10th anniversary of the so-called Rizal Day bombings where more than 20 people were killed. On Dec. 30, 2000, a national holiday commemorating the martyrdom of Philippine hero Jose Rizal, a series of bomb explosions rocked several areas in Metro Manila. The explosion that claimed the most fatalities occurred in a train cab at the Blumentritt station of the Light Rail Transit (LRT). - with Mark D. Merueñas/KBK/VS, GMANews.TV