The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is preparing for possible terror attack spillover in Metro Manila or Luzon.
Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, said Tuesday that the military does not want to be an alarmist, but they cannot discount the possibility that extremist and terrorist groups may infiltrate the northern part of the country to launch attacks in the name of an ideology they are willing to die for.
“Reality check? We cannot say that it will not spillover although the government security forces are doing everything to confine these attacks in areas where they are usually recorded,” he said.
“It’s always within the realm of the possibility. It’s not that we will see more suicide bombings but there’s an intention to use it as a mode of terroristic attack. There are other means but it shows they can already do it so it’s not far-fetched that they can do it again,” he explained.
The military official issued the statement in wake of the recent case of suicide bombing which was carried out by a female suspect at the detachment of the Philippine Army’s 35th Infantry Battalion in Indanan, Sulu, last Sunday.
General Cirilito Sobejana, commander of AFP’s Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom), on Monday revealed that they are monitoring two more bombers who could potentially launch suicide missions.
He said there used to be five bombers in Western Mindanao who they keep under their radar. Three of them have already completed their “missions.”
The first two bombers were Norman Lasuca, the first recognized Filipino suicide bomber, and a still unidentified cohort who blew themselves up when they attacked the camp of the Philippine Army’s first brigade combat team (1BCT) in Indanan, Sulu, last June 28.
The third bomber involved a female suspect on Sunday’s attack in Indanan.
“Two more [bombers] remain,” Sobejana said.
“We are doing everything to relocate and neutralize them but they are just here in our area of responsibility. We don’t want to have a spillover,” he added.
the fact that terror attacks could happen in other parts of the country should prompt a better cooperation between state forces and the community, Arevalo said.
He called on the public to report to authorities suspicious personalities or incidents that they will see. (Martin Sadongdong)
