(UPDATE) PNP checking ‘bombing’ text warnings
By Thea Alberto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:53:00 02/08/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- Police have beefed up security as they check the veracity of a warning spread through text messages of supposed bombings planned in Manila on Saturday to divert public attention from the Senate investigation into the scandal-tainted national broadband network (NBN) deal.
Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales, Manila Police District director, said police intelligence units had been trying to validate the warning since Thursday night but that his command had already beefed up security just in case.
"There will be more mobile patrol[s], we have beefed up intelligence and we talked to different security officers. We will also increase our checkpoints," said Rosales in a phone interview.
The text warning, whose originator claimed to be a confidential agent of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), claimed bombs would be set off at 11 a.m. Saturday in either of five locations -- the Light Rail Transit station in Baclaran, the Tutuban Mall, the Uniwide store in Quiapo, the SM-Manila mall, or the Robinsons mall in Malate.
He added that all other vital installations will be secured to prevent any diversionary tactics and stop extremist groups from taking advantage of the current political crisis.
"Alam mo sa amin, PNP [Philippine National Police] at AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines], pinapatulan namin lahat ng [You know, with the PNP and AFP, we react to all] information but we have to validate them,” Rosales, director of the Manila Police District.
The group TXTPower, reacting to the warnings, condemned “the evil minions and dirty tricks operators behind the spread of text rumors,” and described these as “desperate and
despicable acts of persons and groups who have much to hide and conceal, especially after the testimony of” Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr., a key witness in the Senate probe of the NBN deal.
In a statement, TXTPower said at around 6 p.m. Friday, its members “unleashed our own message, urging the people to be vigilant and not be cowed.”
The group urged the PNP to “truly investigate” the text message but added that “we do not discount the possibility that the police will blame the people themselves.”
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