Manila on alert against ABB

Manila on alert against ABB

MANILA (AFP): The Philippine police chief yesterday put all
units on alert to guard against possible terrorist attacks after
communist assassins threatened to go after executives of foreign
oil firms.

Director General Recaredo Sarmiento said local police
commanders, particularly those in Manila, should intensify
security around gasoline company facilities and oil industry
leaders.

His order came after the the Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB), the
urban assassination team of the communist insurgency, warned they
would attack oil executives for their pending petition to raise
state-controlled fuel prices.

Sarmiento said the PNP "is not taking the threat lightly and
cautions all potential targets to be on the guard."

The ABB has been blamed for killing over 100 policemen,
soldiers and civilians in Manila in the 1980s. However, ABB
activities have dwindled since the collapse of global communism
that led to a bitter internal struggle within the local communist
movement.

The three major oil firms operating in the country --
Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Petron Corp. and Caltex
(Philippines) Inc. -- have asked the government to grant them an
average increase of 1.19 pesos (0.04 cents) a liter on petroleum
products.

But the Energy Department said the increase should only be an
average 0.83 centavos per liter.

Shell and Caltex are subsidiaries of the Royal Dutch Shell
group and US-based Caltex Petroleum Corp., respectively, while
Petron is split between the Philippine government and Saudi
Arabian Oil Co.

Leftist groups have already threatened to stage street
protests if the government grants the petition of the oil
companies. Hikes in fuel prices have long been politically
explosive in this country.

"These are emotional issues which have no business I think
being discussed in the forum we're talking about," said Caltex
Philippines president William Tiffany, reacting to the street
protests and the threat of the ABB.

"The difficulties we're having, having a fair and reasonable
return from the oil industry are blips on the screen" which
American firms considered before investing in the Philippines,
Tiffany said, but he added that the Philippines remained "one of
the most exciting investment opportunities in the world."