Oro alert level still up even after fiesta

By JOEY NACALABAN
Correspondent .

THE Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) has continued with its security measures in the city after this week’s festivities because of a terrorism threat.

The revelation came hours before a crude bomb went off along a highway in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat on Tuesday night, killing at least two people and hurting over 30 others. At that time — fiesta day in Cagayan de Oro, Isulan  — was celebrating its Family and Farmers’ day, one of the activities lined up ahead of the town’s 61st anniversary’s 7th Hamungaya Festival.

Supt. Mardy Hortillosa, Cocpo spokesman, said security measures remained tight in Cagayan de Oro as it was the case during the Higalaay Festival and fiesta day because of a threat of a terrorist attack.

Hortillosa said Cagayan de Oro is still under Alert Level 3.

“Naa gihapon ta sa Threat Level 3. Buot ipasabot ana nga possible atakihon ta sa dautang mga tawo. Mao pud na gisulti ni President Duterte nga isa ang atong syudad nga target. Mao to nga gi-implement ang hugot nga security measures bisan kahibalo mi daghan mabalda ug masuko nga katawhan,” he said.

Hortillosa attributed the successful and relatively peaceful fiesta celebration here to the tight security measures implemented by the police.

Police however said there was no need to further step up the security measures here in the wake of the Sultan Kudarat bomb attack.

Hortillosa said police officers here would merely execute the security plan that was implemented during the fiesta period.

The measures include checkpoint operations in strategic places, police visibility,  intelligence gathering and monitoring with the help of the military and other security groups, and the use of “forcce multipliers” in the barangays.

Councilor George Goking lauded Mayor Oscar Moreno, city police director Senior Supt. Nelson Aganon and security forces who ensured the successful and peaceful celebration of the fiesta.

Meanwhile, authorities said the deadly bomb that exploded on Tuesday night in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat was intended for soldiers deployed along the Isulan-Tacurong highway.

Chief Insp. Celestino Daniel of the Isulan police said a military truck with soldiers was the actual target.

The crude bomb was placed near a motorcycle parked just in front of used clothing stalls in Barangay Kalawag 3.

Daniel said the suspects missed because they failed to trigger the bomb at the time the truck passed by.

Senior Supt. Noel Kinazo, police director for Sultan Kudarat, said the bomb went off at around 8:34 pm.

Supt. Aldrin Gonzales, police spokesman in Region 12, said authorities did not expect the bomb attack, pointing out that the security in the town was tight because of the week-long festivities.

“We had an augmentation. In fact, there were AFP personnel that kept watch. Unfortunately, despite the full deployment, we say, our enemies were able to penetrate the area,” Gonzales told radio station DxND.

The blast killed two people, including a seven-year-old girl, and wounded 37 others, one of them still in critical condition, reports said.

Col. Robert Dauz of  the 1st Mechanized Brigade, said two soldiers were hurt in the explosion.

“The enemies are targeting the security forces guarding the festival activity,” he said.

Killed were Devey Shane Alayon, 7, from Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat; and Leni Ombrog, 52, from Isulan, Sultan Kudarat. (Malu Cadelina Manar and Ferdinandh Cabrera of Mindanews)