‘US 9/11 a wake-up call for Pinoys’

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

THE SEPT. 11, 2001, terror attack on the United States has made Filipinos realize that combatting terrorism should be a shared responsibility of the government and its citizens, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said on Sunday.

“This is a reminder that all of us are facing a faceless enemy, the terrorists,” Andanar said in an interview over dzRB state radio. “And we should all be one in battling this. We should all be helping each other.”

He said every Filipino should take on the responsibility of helping the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police in putting an end to the activities of the Abu Sayyaf and other local terror groups.

Andanar said it was unfortunate that the unimaginable 9/11 incident, which killed nearly 3,000 people 15 years ago, had “opened a Pandora’s box in terrorism.”

“As a matter fact, it developed into something even worse. We now see extremists like IS. Even the Abu Sayyaf became stronger [after 9/11],” he said.

Most notorious

The Abu Sayyaf has been described as the most notorious local terrorist organization. It has allied itself with the late international terror chief Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network, the regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah and recently with the sadistic Islamic State.

The group has denied involvement in the Sept. 2 bomb attack in Davao City that killed 14 people and wounded 67 others.

President Duterte has vowed to exact revenge on those behind the bombing in his hometown, warning he would eat the terrorists alive.

The attack in Davao happened shortly after the President ordered intensified military operations in Sulu province to run after the Abu Sayyaf. Authorities suggested the attack could also be linked to the administration’s ruthless war against illegal drugs.

Andanar said the government was not taking lightly warnings of bomb attacks in crowded places which were sent through text and e-mailed by unknown individuals.

Civic responsibility

He urged those who receive threatening messages to immediately call government hotline numbers 911 or 117 and give the information to the proper authorities.

“As a responsible citizen practicing your civic responsibility, you should call 911 so that at least [the information] is on record. It’s better to be safe than sorry,” he said.

“Our intelligence agencies can trace the sources of these [threatening] text messages and e-mails,” he said. “To our countrymen, I hope you don’t make prank calls to our hotlines because it would only worsen the situation.”

He said the President’s declaration of a state of lawlessness would help the military and the police conduct operations against individuals out to sow terror in other parts of the country after the Davao blast.