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By Rommel C. Lontayao, Reporter
The Manila city government is now preparing for
possible terrorist attacks in the country’s capital after Friday
afternoon’s deadly blast at a mall in Makati City.
City officials yesterday called on mall owners
to provide additional security personnel and beef up security
measures to better ensure the safety of their customers.
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim asked concerned city
department heads to coordinate with the operators of mass
transportation services such as the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the
Metro Rail Transit (MRT).
The mayor also directed the Manila Police
District (MPD) to beef up security and increase police visibility
not only in the vicinity of shopping malls but also in other public
places where a good number of people converge at any given time,
especially during the weekend.
“Those going to the churches, public markets
and plazas especially this weekend must be doubly alert and careful
every step of the way,” Lim said.
He also appealed to the public to keep their
children by their side, especially when going to highly-congested
areas or going to crowded places.
“The public should also be wary of their
surroundings and the people around them. [They must] immediately
report to security authorities should they notice or stumble upon
anything suspicious or out of the ordinary occurrences,” the city
mayor said.
Lim requested that additional security be also
employed in the wake of the bombing at the Glorietta 2 Shopping Mall
in Ayala Center, Makati City which claimed the lives of nine persons
and left at least 119 wounded. Two persons remain missing due
to the explosion.
The incident has already prompted authorities to
tighten security in the transit systems and in other malls, not only
in Makati City, but in other parts of Metro Manila.
Manila police have also conducted motorcycle
patrols to guard vital installations such as the oil depot in the
city’s Pandacan district.
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