By LITO RULONA
Correspondent
CAMP Alagar placed the police in the region on full alert starting today until Easter.
Police director for northern Mindanao Chief Supt. Agripino Javier’s order came the same day government troops clashed with suspected Abu Sayyaf militants in Inabanga town, Bohol.
The Bohol encounter gave credence to a US travel advisory cautioning Americans from going to certain areas in the Visayas because of threats of terrorism and kidnappings.
Authorities said at least five Abu Sayyaf fighters and three government troopers were killed during a clash at Sitio Ilaya, Barangay Napo, Inabanga town, Bohol yesterday morning.
Also wounded in the 7 am encounter were two troopers, said Armed Forces public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo.
Javier ordered all city, municipal and provincial police offices across northern Mindanao to be on full alert status today until Easter Sunday.
Camp Alagar spokesman Supt. Lemuel Gonda said the police would deploy more security personnel to terminals, airports, seaports, highways, malls, resorts, churches and other convergence areas to beef up police presence and ensure the tranquil observance of the Lent.
Over local radio, Javier said he ordered the alert level stepped up to avert plans by any terrorist group from operating in Region 10.
Javier said he also ordered the use of highly trained bomb-sniffing sniffing dogs in terminals and ports.
He said 90 percent of the region’s 7,200 officers would go on field during the rest of the week.
Javier said the PNP Highway Patrol Group and other law enforcement units would beef up the security forces throughout the region.
“Our primary concern is safety,” he said.
Gonda said Javier ordered security measures to be in place because northern Mindanao is facing a terrorism threat.
“We continue to undertake preemptive measures against terrorist attacks and other criminalities,” he said.
After the encounter in Bohol, authorities seized four high-powered firearms, including three M-16 automatic rifles, and a M-14 carbine along with improvised explosive device.
Bohol troops were alerted after residents spotted three suspicious-looking pumpboats entering the riverside in Sitio Ilaya Monday night with its estimated 10 passengers, alighting and occupying three nearby houses.
With this development, military and police units were deployed to secure the area and prevent the Abu Sayyaf fighters from breaking out.
In the ensuing firefight, three soldiers were killed along with five of the suspects. Fighting is still ongoing as of this writing, Arevalo said.
He said the Bohol incident highlighted the importance of coordination and cooperation between civilians and military authorities in breaking down possible terrorists plots.
Tuesday’s clash in Bohol took place shortly after the US Embassy issued a travel advisory to its citizens, cautioning them from visiting the Central Visayas, Cebu and Bohol. (with reports from pna)
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