Amid foiled terror attempt, AFP denies destabilization plot

By: Maila Ager - 10 years ago

Suspects in the NAIA 3 bomb try at DOJ. JOAN BONDOC

MANILA, Philippines –There is no destabilization plot despite the reported plan by a group of military reservists to bomb specific targets in Metro Manila, including the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), the Armed Forces of the Philippines said on Wednesday.

“There’s no destabilization angle on that report kasi imagine ano lang ‘yun, labintador tapos nilagayan ng gasoline (It’s just a firecracker and gasoline). Anybody can do that so I think that’s really something that (we should really not be bothered about),” General General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr., AFP Chief of Staff, told reporters after attending his confirmation hearing at the Senate.

Catapang was referring to Monday’s foiled plot to bomb the Naia allegedly by a group protesting China’s occupation of disputed isles in the South China Sea.
He also dismissed as mere “allegation” reports that the same group was planning to bomb SM Mall of Asia, in Pasay and the Chinese Embassy and the headquarters of property developer D.M. Consunji Inc. in Makati City, all Chinese-operated establishments.

“Well that’s the allegation but we looked around, sabi may mga threat din sa kampo namin pero negative naman so we didn’t want to put more, bigyan sila ng importansya,” said the military chief.

(Well that’s the allegation but we looked around and found out that there were threats in our camp. But we discovered they were “negative” and we just do not want to give them more importance.)

Catapang said they would just leave it up to the National Bureau of Investigation to file the appropriate charges against those behind the foiled Naia terror plot.