The Philippine National Police yesterday condoled with the people of Sri Lanka after the horrific series of bomb attacks on five hotels and three churches on Easter Sunday which claimed the lives of at least 290 people and wounding of about 500 others.
“The PNP extends its sympathy to the people of Sri Lanka over the death of some 200 persons and injuries to several hundred others in a series of bombing incidents on five hotels and three churches on Easter Sunday in an apparent act of terrorism,” said PNP chief Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde.
Albayalde expressed solidarity with the international law enforcement community in condemning the “uncivil acts of violence against civilian targets.”
He noted that the series of bomb attacks – eight in total – were “carried out for no other purpose but to sow fear and terror.”
The country’s top cop said the PNP “remains committed to extend every possible assistance within our means” in the spirit of friendship and goodwill forged between Sri Lanka and the Philippines during the state visit of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena last Jan. 19.
During his state visit, Sirisena was welcomed by Albayalde in Camp Crame in Quezon City where the world leader praised President Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
Sirisena even said he would imitate Duterte’s iron fist campaign in dealing with drug suppliers, pushers, and users.
Meanwhile, Albayalde said the PNP will implement security adjustment in the country since terrorism has already become a global threat and they don’t want to let their guard down.
“No. 1, we will intensify our intelligence monitoring. This is what we’re saying that there are possibilities that terrorists or members of ISIS can go to places anywhere in the world to seek refuge and we are not excused on that,” he said.
However, the PNP chief stressed that the public has nothing to worry about since there are no monitored threats here in our country so far.
“We don’t want the public to think that there is a threat right now although we don’t brush that possibility aside. But as of this time, we are not receiving any report so what we do is basically the intensification of the intelligence monitoring,” Albayalde stated. (Martin A. Sadongdong)
