RP studying RI anti-terrorist steps

RP studying RI anti-terrorist steps

Associated Press Manila

The Philippines is studying steps taken by Indonesia to fortify its capital, Jakarta, from terror attacks to see which could be used to bolster security in Philippine urban centers, a top security official said on Sunday.

A Philippine national police contingent was recently sent to Jakarta, which has suffered from recent deadly bombings, to study tougher steps taken there to secure hotels, train stations and other possible targets, National Security Adviser Victor Mayo said.

The contingent will recommend which of Jakarta's new security steps could be adopted in metropolitan Manila and other Philippine cities, he said.

"We don't want to suffer from those attacks," Mayo said. More than 60 percent of recent bombings in the region struck "soft targets," crowded public places like hotels and transport stations which are not heavily secured, he said.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, has suffered a spate of terror bombings in recent years blamed on the al-Qaeda-linked group Jamaah Islamiyah. An Aug. 5 bomb attack at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta killed 12.

After the Marriott bombing, Indonesia toughened security checks at Jakarta's malls and hotels, deploying bomb-sniffing dogs to help screen visitors. Some hotels and office buildings have barred cars from parking in front of entrances.

The Philippines has also been hit by terrorist attacks blamed on Jamaah Islamiyah, including almost-simultaneous bombings on Dec. 30, 2000, that killed 22 people and injured more than 100 others in metropolitan Manila.

Although terror attacks have eased in recent months following a regional security crackdown that led to arrests of suspected Muslim extremists, terror groups could recover and launch new attacks, Mayo said.

"To fight terrorism, we need to be lucky all the time," he said. "The problem is they (terrorists) need to get lucky only once."