Military on alert in the wake of Bangkok blasts

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Hernando Iriberri on Wednesday ordered the country’s security forces to be “extra-vigilant” in securing peace in their respective areas of responsibility following Monday’s deadly bombing in central Bangkok in Thailand that left 20 people dead and more than 120 injured.

Col. Noel Detoyato, AFP public affairs office chief, said that Iriberri also ordered his men to implement measures to prevent a similar incident from happening in the country, and to always coordinate with the police and other security services, particularly those in the field.

“That is the direct order of our chief of staff. This is also in line with his pronouncement during his assumption that the areas under the command of our field units should be hostile and inhospitable to all kinds of threat groups,” Detoyato said in an interview in Camp Aguinaldo.

He said that there was no indication or imminent threat of bombing activities in the metropolis, but there are threat groups in the country that are also capable of doing the same.

“There are some groups (here) who are capable of conducting similar bombing incidents and that is what we are watching especially our usual suspects like the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters,” he added.–Cynthia D. Balana