Albalyalde: PNP to review, strengthen strategies to fight terrorism

MANILA, Philippines — The nation’s top cop Gen. Oscar Albayalde said Thursday that the Philippine National Police (PNP) will review its game plan to counter terrorism in the country, as he cited possible radicalization of prisoners and locals through the Internet.

Admitting that the “playing field” has changed now that the country confirmed its first suicide bomber, Albayalde said in a press briefing at Camp Crame: “We have to strengthen our strategy. We have to revisit, review, revise our strategy dito.”

Twenty-three-year-old Norman Lasuca, one of the two suspected suicide bombers in Indanan, Sulu, has been confirmed to be Filipino following DNA tests. The June 28 bombings left seven people killed and 22 others wounded.

According to Albayalde, the PNP continuously develops its Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG), which, he said, plays a vital role in combating the radicalization of locals through the Internet.

“Kung ikaw ay trained, makikita mo na there is something wrong doon sa pag-exchange of information through social media. So dito tayo papasok kaya continuous ang pag-improve natin ng ACG,” he said.

(If you are trained, you will see if there is something wrong on the exchange of information through social media. So this is where ACG comes in that’s why we continuously improve our ACG.)

The PNP chief also said that they will intensify “target-hardening measures and intelligence information monitoring” to track possible local suicide bombers.

“I think the government, hindi lang AFP, PNP ang involved diyan, [but] pati ‘yung mga ibang law enforcement agencies, very serious dyan sa prevention ng terrorism. We all know that this is a global problem,” he pointed out.

(I think the government, not just the AFP, the PNP are involved there, but also other law enforcement agencies, are very serious in the prevention of terrorism. We all know that this is a global problem.) /kga