The Philippine Online Chronicles

President Benigno Aquino III has ordered heightened security for possible bombing targets, telling the Inquirer that he will discuss with Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Raul Bacalzo how to fortify "suspected objects of attention by terrorist groups so we can ensure the safety and security of our people."

Aquino’s statement came in the wake of the bombing of a bus in North Cotabato on Thursday and a bomb threat at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) building in Makati City, also on Thursday. It is currently unknown whether the bus bombing and the PSE bomb threat were related.

“I will not direct [the police investigation] to focus on one particular angle,” Aquino said about the bomb-related incidents. “The only direction is to solve and arrest and put behind bars all of the perpetrators.”

He added that the government will improve its intelligence gathering and dissemination of information “to the operating units in a timely manner and we are able to prevent as much as possible and the very least go after all of these perpetrators".

Cotabato bomb, PSE bomb threat

The bomb which went off inside a passenger bus in North Cotabato killed nine people and injured at least 30 others.

Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the military's Eastern Mindanao Command reported that the explosive went off inside a Rural Transit deluxe bus (with body number: 2284) in Dalapitan village, Matalam town. The bus had departed from Cagayan de Oro and was carrying about 60 passengers.

“It was so powerful that people were killed on the spot,” said North Cotabato Governor Emmylou J. Taliño-Mendoza.

Allan D. Yaphockun, a businessman from this city and governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Southwestern Mindanao pointed out that bomb attacks allegedly carried out by extremists are frequent occurrences in the area.

“Past presidents have failed to address the bomb attacks in the region. I hope that President Aquino would look at the peace and order condition in Mindanao and address it to end these senseless bombings,” he said.

Meanwhile, the PSE in Makati came to a standstill Thursday morning after a librarian at Ayala Tower One reported receiving a bomb threat over the phone.

“We halted trading for security reasons. We implemented evacuation measures immediately for the safety of employees and trading participants,” said PSE president Val Suarez.

Special Weapons and Tactics and ordnance teams were dispatched to the area to sweep for explosives but none were found. Trading resumed at around 1:00 p.m.

“Certainly it’s a concern but we’re happy to know that there was no actual explosive," said Presidential Communication Strategic Development and Planning Office head Ramon “Ricky" Carandang.

Investigations into both incidents are still ongoing.