Due to terror plots, Kidapawan on 'heightened alert'

KIDAPAWAN CITY --City Mayor Joseph Evangelista has confirmed the city is on a heightened alert due to terror threats coming from several armed groups. With this, the mayor has attested to the veracity of the earlier data from the National Intelligence Coordination Agency (NICA) where it said the city is included in areas in Southern Philippines where terror alert has been raised. We are actually on heightened alert even before intelligence reports from different agencies [came out],” he said. But as to where these threats are coming from, the mayor said, I can’t divulge the source.” Evangelista, during the fourth quarter meeting of the City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) held here last week, disclosed that several business establishments in the city had already received ‘extortion’ letters from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New Peoples’ Army (NPA), and the National Democratic Front (NDF). City police director, Superintendent John Miridel Calinga, said helearned about NICA’s report early October this year in a meeting in General Santos City. Calinga said the NICA used as basis in its claim the location of Kidapawan City. The city, being the seat and capital of North Cotabato, is located adjacent to areas where threat groups are believed ‘hiding’. The city is also few kilometers away from towns in North Cotabato, which were recently attacked by lawless elements through grenade throwing incidents and explosions. Towns attacked earlier included Kabacan, Pikit, Matalam, and Carmen. Among the threat groups identified in NICA’s report is the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), which, according to reports, has established ‘bases’ in Maguindanao province. To deter possible terror plots from threat groups, Evangelista said the city government, through its Public Safety Division, has intensified the conduct of ‘choke’ points along the national highway, activation of ‘force multipliers’, K9 patrols, and putting up of additional close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in public places and other high-risk areas. The city government, with out PNP and Army units, are doing its best to make our yuletide season safe, he said as he urged the public to continue supporting the LGU's public safety initiatives.