IATF places 6 areas under Alert Level 3

by Argyll Cyrus Geducos, Manila Bulletin

The government’s pandemic task force has escalated six areas to Alert Level 3 due to the rising number of local coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.

El Nido is a municipality on Palawan Island. It is one of the most popular destinations in the Philippines thanks to its absolutely stunning islands and beaches. (Photo by Erwin Lim, courtesy of the Department of Tourism)

In a statement, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said that the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases decided to raise the classification of the following areas from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3:

• Palawan
• Camiguin
• Davao Occidental
• Dinagat Islands
• Tawi-Tawi
• Sulu

The new risk classification will take effect on Jan. 28 and will last until Feb. 15.

As for Metro Manila, whose Alert Level 3 status will lapse on Jan. 31, Nograles had said that the IATF will make the announcement regarding its status this weekend or before Feb. 1.

Police nationwode on 'heightened alert' after Jolo Bombing

(philstar.com) - January 28, 2019 - 12:28pm

MANILA, Philippines — Police across the country were placed on heightened alert on Monday in response the twin bombings at the Jolo cathedral in Sulu on Sunday, January 28.

In a press conference, Senior Superintendent Bernard Banac, acting chief of the PNP’s public information office, said that Director General Oscar Albyalde has placed the entire PNP under nationwide heightened alert.

Pope Francis asks for prayers for victims of Jolo twin blasts.

The heightened alert status “aims to ensure that no similar plans of terrorist groups will be carried out in other regions,” added Banac.

All regional directors were also directed to “initiate further security measures to preempt and prevent similar incidents.”

Police regional directors were also given discretion to raise alert conditions in their areas of responsibility, if necessary.

Law enforcement agencies have been on heightened alert since the start of the election period.

President Rodrigo Duterte has also yet to lift the state of national emergency he declared since the bombing in the Davao City night market in September 2016.

Banac stressed that this new directive of a heightened alert status is “to put more emphasis and remind once again all our units and offices to maintain alertness and intensify some more.”

“We should not remain complacent but instead we need to be very vigilant in cooperation with the community,” he added.

Albayalde flew to Jolo, Sulu on Monday morning to lead the post-blast investigation.

In an earlier televised interview, Albayalde said that they are working to “reconstruct” the improvised explosive device, which would help them identify the maker of the bomb.

Palace says no mercy for Jolo cathedral bombers.

He explained that the construction and type of explosive used in the bombs are like “signatures” of certain groups.

At least 20 were killed and more than 100 law enforcement agents and civilians were injured from the two bombings. — Kristine Joy Patag

Military Verifying "Proof of Life" of ASG-held Germans in Sulu

 

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  - - Police and military intelligence  officials are verifying what could be a “proof of life” picture of two German nationals held by the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu.

The picture was posted on the internet and was discovered by authorities, officials said.

Capt. Ma. Rowena Muyuela, spokesperson of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), believes that the intelligence community has a copy of the picture that shows German nationals Dr. Stefan Viktor Okonek, 74, and Henrite Dielen, 42, seated and holding a German flag with about 10 masked gunmen believed to be Abu Sayyaf members in an unknown location.

Muyuela said government troops have been pursuing the Abu Sayyaf group to rescue hostages, including the two German nationals who were initially declared missing after sailing aboard their yacht near Rio Tubataha off Palawan toward Sabah last April.

Muyuela declined to give further comment or details, saying that any operational information leak might pre-empt the safety of the victims and the military's pursuit.

“We can only say in general that efforts have been ongoing to recover the victims,” Muyuela said.

Senior Superintendent Abraham Orbita, Sulu provincial police director, also confirmed the presence of the two German hostages held by the Abu Sayyaf group in the province and a tracking operation is underway to locate the victims.

“Intelligence operatives are working to locate the victims,” Orbita said. He did not elaborate.

The presence of the two captive Germans was initially confirmed by Octavio Dinampo, aprofessor at Mindanao State University (MSU) and an active peace advocate in Sulu,  sometime in May following tips by informants on the ground detailing how the victims were brought to the province.

Dinampo, also a former kidnap victim of the Abu Sayyaf, disclosed earlier that the two German captives arrived in the coastal village of Barangay Buhanginan, Patikul town with their captors led by Jihad Susukan alias Iddang  last Arpil 14 and brought to the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Radullan Sahiron.

He said  the two captives then joined the group of other captives, including  two European bird watchers -  Dutch Elwold Horn, and Swiss Lorenzo Vinceguerra, and  a Malaysian maritime police officer.-  Roel Pareño, Philippine Star