Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The “possible terrorist threat” in Southern Mindanao has been identified by Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II as a bomb plot that is likely planned by a person or two individuals.
“Bomba ito, terorismo ito. This is not a conventional threat posed by several men in uniforms, firing with their long firearms,” Roxas said in a hastily called press briefing in Camp Crame on Monday.
“Ito ay isa, dalawang tao lang na masama ang binabalak at nagpaplano.”
On Sunday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it was bracing for a “possible terrorist threat” in Davao City, alerting all its police forces in Mindanao. But the police did not specify the nature of the threat.
After his meeting with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Roxas said the threat possibility is at level four based on the information and leads gathered.
“May the threat possibility be at level four or below, Mayor Duterte said the government response must be at level ten. We cannot just ignore this threat possibility,” he said.
Roxas on Sunday flew to Davao City to meet Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who also chairs the Regional Peace and Order Council of Davao Region, and Police Regional Director Wendy Rosario to ensure that all police units in Mindanao are on alert for any possible terrorist attack.
He also sought the cooperation of 1.7 million citizens of Davao with the authorities in preventing any terrorist threat from materializing.
He said the intelligence unit of the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP) have collated their reports and came up with the information that a terrorist attack might hit Davao City.
Roxas, however, declined to divulge further information so as not to compromise and jeopardize the operation of intelligence units.
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