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BY BOY RYAN ZABAL
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Saturday, May 27, 2017
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BORACAY – Soldiers and police officers, especially in this island, were on alert to prevent the spillover of the terror attacks in Marawi City to Aklan province.
Government troops and armed men belonging to the Islamic State-linked Maute group clashed in Marawi on May 23. This prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to place the entire Mindanao under martial law.
No Philippine Army officers based in Barangay Libas, Banga town will be deployed to go after the Maute group, according to Lieutenant Colonel Leomar Jose Doctolero, 12th Infantry Battalion commander.
However, they were placed on alert status to prevent lawless elements from sowing terror in the communities, Doctolero stressed.
“Ang Philippine Army ay ginagawa ang lahat upang ang Marawi incident ay maiwasan na makarating sa Visayas,” he said. “Kailangan ang tulong ng bawat isa sa Aklan para mapanatili natin ang katahimikan at kapayapaan.”
The Army was providing security in Boracay and coordinating with the police and other stakeholders to ensure the safety of tourists and residents.
Security measures will be intensified at airports, seaports and other vital installations.
“Patuloy din ang ating pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga Muslim brothers natin at sa pag-monitor sa sitwasyon sa Mindanao,” Doctolero said.
The Army official urged the public to be vigilant and report suspicious-looking individuals to the authorities.
Police in this island were on full alert status as well.
Senior Inspector Jose Mark Anthony Gesulga, deputy chief of the Boracay Tourist Assistance Center (BTAC), said they were directed to “prepare for any eventuality.”
Police visibility and intelligence monitoring will be strengthened, with focus on entry and exit points and remote and vulnerable areas, Gesulga said.
Aside from coordinating with the Muslim community, the BTAC was also working with the newly activated Joint Boracay Task Force, a multiagency law enforcement and emergency response group.
Task Force members recently trained, via simulation exercises, on handling security threats.
The training will be a big help in averting terrorist attacks, Gesulga said.
The Joint Task Force Boracay was created to strengthen the capability of local authorities in detecting, preventing and neutralizing threats in the island resort and mainland Malay.
Gesulga assured there are currently no terror threats in Boracay. (With Aklan Forum Journal and Philippine News Agency/PN)
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