Police districts on alert for travelers from Jolo, other Mindanao areas

MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, Major Gen. Debold Sinas, on Tuesday ordered police districts in Metro Manila to be on alert for travelers coming from Jolo, Sulu, and other parts of Mindanao as a precautionary measure following two explosions that rocked the southern Philippines.

“We have alerted our people, we have alerted our different district offices on the bombing incident and to monitor sa lugar kung mayroong galing ng Jolo tapos pumunta rito sa atin. We have directed our committee or chief intel to coordinate with their counterparts in the case may mga galing sa Mindanao na pumasok dito,” Sinas said in a press conference at Camp Karingal, Quezon City.

(We have alerted our people, we have alerted our district offices on the bombing incident and to monitor areas to keep watch if there are people from Jolo who arrived here. We have directed our committee of chief intel to coordinate with counterparts in case there are some Mindanao citizens here.)

Sinas added that they ordered the Explosive Ordnance Disposal units in all districts to monitor possible bomb threats in areas of convergence, such as transport hubs and supermarkets.

“Umiikot po sa establishments natin kagaya ng LRT (Light Rail Transit), MRT (Metro Rail Transit), malls, bus terminals, plaza at saka supermarkets and hopefully this will prevent any bombs planted in their areas. With this we are preparing ourselves,” Sinas said.

(Security is being sent at establishments just like LRT, MRT, malls, bus terminals, plaza and supermarkets and hopefully, this will prevent bombs planted in their areas. With this we are preparing ourselves.)

The NCRPO chief noted that every police district has two bomb-sniffing dogs deployed to those areas daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Nevertheless, Sinas assured the public that so far, they have not monitored any terror threats in the National Capital Region after the Jolo bombings.

“So far, wala pa naman na-monitor na movement o pumasok. Ang ginawa namin is preventive measures para ma-assure ang mga kababayaan natin na may mga pulis na nagfollow up sa bombing sa Sulu,” the Metro’s top cop said.

(So far, we have not monitored any movement. What we are doing is preventive measures to assure our countrymen that police are doing follow-up operations on the bombings in Sulu.)

Eleven people, including civilians and soldiers were dead and 24 were wounded in separate bombings in Jolo province on Monday, Aug. 24.

According to the military, the first explosion occurred at 11:54 a.m. inside a food shop in Barangay Walled City in Jolo, where a military truck was parked. After an hour, another explosion also occurred at the Goteckleng Building.[ac]