DAVAO CITY — Hours after the Koronadal City bus bombing on Thursday, Task Force Davao and the City Police placed the city under heightened alert and instituted measures to prevent lawless elements from entering the city.
Colonel Darren E. Comia, commander of TF-Davao told Newsline “We heightened the alter status and placed many security personnel in strategic areas of concern, all entrances and exits in both inland and sea ports including the sea patrols are on alter.”
A bomb exploded Thursday at around 12:30 midday along Alunan Avenue, in Koronadal City which wounded several people.
Authorities are still investigating to identify the group and establish the motive.
All TF-Davao Checkpoints are implementing stiffer measures “The checkpoints in Barangays Sirawan, Calinan and Ilang are strictly monitored and the River Rine Sea checkpoint is also being monitored by the joint Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard teams along with Task Force Davao.”
On the part of the Davao City Police Office, spokesperson Police Major Maria Teresita Gaspan said “So far wala man tay nadawat nga threat apan dunay mga allegation of bomb threat, Gina-validate gyud na natu no we do not take it lightly no bisan disinformation or fake news we always conduct validation. Sa pagkakaron duna kamiy gihimo nga purposely – ang Davao City Police Office nga preventive measures sa bombing nga nahitabo sa Koronadal. We have activated our Oplan Davao – kaning gitawag namo nga checkpoint sa trabaho sa middle ug inner layer sa atoang syudad”
(So far, we didn’t receive any threat or allegations of bomb threat, we are validating every information we receive, we do not take it lightly even if it is hearsay of fake news we always conduct validation, As it is now, we have prepared a plan purposely as preventive measures after the Koronadal bombing, we have activated the Oplan Davao- strengthened our middle and inner layers of the city.”
It can be recalled, on January 11, 2022, a unit of Mindanao Star Bus Company was bombed at Barangay San Mateo in the town of Aleosan, North Cotabato. It claimed the life of a toddler and wounded a handful of passengers.
On April 24, a bomb exploded inside a bus in Barangay Making, Parang, Maguindanao which wounded five passengers including a child.
Five days after the Parang bombing, the military reported that a leader of the terrorist Dawlah Islamiya was killed in an encounter with the military in the town of Carmen in North Cotabato.-Eugene C. Hinutan