MANILA, Philippines—To neutralize terrorists, the National Bureau of Investigation is getting its agents and investigators to think like one.

Only recently, the NBI’s counterterrorism unit (CTU) started conducting seminars and lectures which would allow its men to figuratively pick the brains of terrorists in order to best them.

NBI-CTU Chief Regional Director Ric Diaz said the focus of the seminars on bombings, explosives and mines were the bureau’s personnel in Mindanao where most bombings in the country have so far occurred.

“We are holding seminars for our agents, operatives and investigators there. Mindanao is usually the target of terrorism like in Davao, General Santos City, Cotabato City and Zamboanga so we have to bring our focus there. This is a serious matter,” he said.

“We have to read the minds of all terrorists groups to neutralize them,” Diaz added.

The seminars, he pointed out, were aimed at ensuring that NBI operatives and investigators, especially those assigned in Mindanao, were knowledgeable on bombings, explosives and mines.

“In the near future, we will also hold seminars all over the Philippines to make sure we can cope. But for the meantime, our focus is in Mindanao and Metro Manila,” Diaz said.

Apart from the seminars, the NBI has put up a bomb and improvised explosive device (IED) display to allow its men to familiarize themselves with the bomb signatures of different terrorist groups from other countries.

Diaz said that next month, the Philippines intends to join Malaysia and Indonesia in a tri-border police and prosecutor international program initiated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of the global war against terrorism.

“Law enforcement agencies all over the world continue to maximize efforts to fight terrorism. This is a global war against terrorism and Philippine enforcement agencies are very much involved in efforts to counter terrorism,” he said.