Director General Jaime Calungsud, chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Visayas, yesterday reminded policemen in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental to stay vigilant as terrorist activities may also happen in the major cities of  the Visayas.

Calungsud was in Bacolod City yesterday to check on all vital installations, places of convergence and the Panaad Park and Stadium where the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup will be held today.

He said that what happened in Makati recently where a bus exploded killing five passengers and injuring 14 others could happen in the Visayas as it is near Mindanao, where rebel extremist groups believed to be responsible for the bombing come from.

Calungsod said they are mapping out measures to thwart attempts at terrorist activities in the Visayas.

They are boosting their guard system, improving intelligence networks and conducting more police visibility patrols at vital installations and areas where people converge to make it hard for terrorist to launch violence, Calungsud said.

Meanwhile, during a conference attended by Calungsud at the Bacolod Government Center, police and military participants disclosed that the New People’s Army remains to be the top threat to the security in Western Visayas.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines, The Philippine National Police and the local government units in Region 6 are working hand in hand to protect vital installations from terrorists’ attacks, Police Regional Office-6, Director Chief Supt. Cepriano Querol, said.

The fusion of their efforts will make it hard for terrorist to conduct operations against seaports, airports and government offices, Querol said.

Col. Francisco Patrimonio, deputy commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, said Bacolod is also vulnerable to terrorist attacks as it has economic enterprises and a lot of vital installations.

The BCPO and the 303rd Infantry Brigade recently inked a Memorandum of Agreement for the creation of the peace and security coordinating center to thwart terrorism.*APN

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