Aquino clarifies: Threats in Mindanao ‘raw’ reports on terror bomb maker

By: Kristine Angeli Sabillo - 10 years ago

President Benigno Aquino III. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday clarified that the terror reports he conveyed to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte last week were based on “raw” information still being confirmed by authorities.

“I passed on to Mayor Duterte a raw report — may I emphasize ‘raw.’ I just wanted to make sure that he was given all of the pertinent information to adequately prepare Davao,” Aquino said at the sidelines of the Philippine Air Force’s 67^th anniversary at Clark Air Base here.

A couple of days ago, Duterte told media that Davao City was on heightened alert. He revealed that Aquino personally called him to relay the potential terror threat.

Asked if the threat involved the Abu Sayyaf group, the President said there was an ongoing operation against a “very long sought after terrorist with international links.”

He said the terrorist was a bomb expert believed to have “sent a bomb-laden vehicle to Davao City to further a terrorist attack.”

Aquino said both the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were still verifying the reports.

He said there was a possibility that it was not true or a ruse on the part of the terrorist.

Aquino said he may be sowing terror in Davao so government forces would focus on the wrong place.

Nevertheless, the President said the government could not discount the fact that the threats may be true.

Last week, the Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted a military source who said the Abu Sayyaf was targeting Davao and other cities in Mindanao after one of its bomb factories was raided last June. Bomb expert Abdul Basit Usman, who has a $1 million bounty on is head, was said to have survived the attack.

Government officials assured the public that uniformed forces in Eastern Mindanao were on alert and have set-up additional check-points.