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THE Makati bomb blast on Friday that killed nine and
injured at least 129 others is a grim reminder that terrorism has
grafted itself into the landscape and that we face a long ordeal
taming it.
So strong was the
blast that it tore off the ceiling on the first floor, knocked down
walls, shattered windows and sent debris flying in all directions.
Cars parked outside the mall did not escape damage.
The bomber took
advantage of the huge crowd at the busy mall. The goal was to kill
as many innocents and hurt scores of people, not unlike the bombings
that have rocked public places in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If we are trying to
link the tragedies in the Philippines and the Middle East, the
reason is that international terrorists have found a haven in
Southern Mindanao. The al-Qaeda organization and Jemaah Islamiah,
its Asian claw, have joined forces with the Abu Sayyaf terrorists
mainly in Sulu and Basilan to extend their reach to the Philippines
and neighboring countries.
We do not expect the
terrorists to claim authorship of the Makati blast, but they have a
legacy of terrorism in the country, the latest being the Feb. 14,
2005, bombing of a passenger bus, also in Makati, and the
firebombing of a ferry on Manila Bay a year earlier. Recent bombings
in Southern Mindanao are being laid at the doorsteps of the Abu
Sayyaf.
President Gloria
Arroyo has ordered the police to solve the bombing and to identify
and arrest the perpetrators. She has warned unfriendly sectors not
to take advantage of the tragedy by fomenting more unrest or waging
efforts to destabilize the government.
We are reassured by
her pledge not to declare martial law. That would be an extreme move
and will raise suspicions that the government desperately needs a
diversion to draw public attention from a series of recent
controversies it is mired in.
It is cynical and
brazen of the politicians, bishops and businessmen to suggest that
the government staged the bombing to create a sense of emergency
that would replace the current obsessions with scandals that have
prompted congressional investigations, media inquiries and public
restiveness.
The bombing is a
setback for the economy and a blot on law and order. The victims
will need long-term care. Politicians will feast on the misfortune
for publicity and partisan ends. It’s a sad day for the country.
The next step
WHILE the government attends to the needs of the victims and
their families, it ought to consider weightier steps to improve
public safety and to turn the table on terrorism and lawlessness.
We need more than
battlefield training from the US soldiers taking part in the
Balikatan war games or the ones who have stayed permanently in
Mindanao. We need to upgrade our expertise in intelligence gathering
and analysis to deal with terrorism in the long term.
The government could
win a great part of the war by moving one step ahead of the enemy,
by knowing his character, tactics and strength. Developing
excellence in intelligence work and sharing information with other
countries could help thwart the enemy. Friends like Israel, Japan
and the United States can help.
Poor investigation,
evidence gathering and a deficient crime laboratory have stymied
much of police work. Police expertise in crime-scene investigation
is very unsatisfactory. The national police and the National Bureau
of Investigation need to upgrade their skills in CSI and arson
investigation. This way they could solve more crimes, including
those carried out by terrorists.
The media have not
reported if the Makati shopping mall uses closed-circuit television.
CCTV, as the London police have discovered, is a great aid in the
identification of criminals and crime suspects, Private businesses,
especially banks and those that attract shoppers, should be
encouraged to install electronic eyes on their premises.
We support the
police effort to install a network of closed-circuit TV in public
places. There is no erosion of personal privacy on the street, the
plazas and the transportation stops. But the campaign to take
pictures of passengers before they board buses is intrusive. There
should be a better way to identify thieves who victimize passengers.
Congress has passed
the antiterrorism act; the government should enforce it with vigor.
Objections to the law, coming from civil libertarians, should be
considered by our legislators. The law is not meant to stop petty
criminals but the terrorists and their accomplices.
The private security
establishment plays an important role in public safety. The
government, together with private business, should spend money on
upgrading the skills of the “blue guards” and consider them an
arm of the law. Professionalizing the security force will strengthen
peace in the community.
Vigilance is all.
Every citizen—the public—should keep his eyes and ears open to
threats or signs of danger to public order. Reporting
strange-looking packages or informing the police about persons
behaving suspiciously could help prevent a crime and stop a
perpetrator.
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