DAVAO TOP TOURIST SPOT TARGET OF TERROR ATTACK

By ROGER M. BALANZA

             Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) Mayor Aniano Antalan had ordered tight security in the island city’s famous beach resorts, following military information that IGACOS would have been the target of an Indonesian national, said to be a Jemaah Islamiyah bomber, arrested on Saturday in Davao Oriental.

            Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian cell of the international terrorist group al-Qaeda, is said to be behind the spare of bomb attacks in Mindanao.

            Antalan said tighter checks have been set in place in wharves of beach resorts dotting the IGACOS coastline to thwart any terrorist attacks. The island city lies at the Davao Gulf between Davao City and Davao del Norte, and can be reached only by a ferry boat or motor-powered outriggers.

            The IGACOS police said it would be meeting with beach resort owners to encourage them to institute their own security measures.

            IGACOS has become world-famous as the Davao Region’s top tourist destination with its white beaches and excellent tourist facilities.

            The military arrested Indonesian Mohamad Baehaqi in Barangay Piso, Banaybanay in Lupon municipality, in possession of bomb-making materials.

            Idamat Generoso and his son Ustadz Mohar, in whose house Baehaqi was nabbed, were also arrested for harboring the Indonesian national, said to be linked to Indonesian terrorists Dulmatin and Patek. Several firearms, detonators and blasting caps and other bomb-making materials were discovered in the Generoso house. Idamat is an employee of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Ustadz Mohar reportedly is a member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which is suspected by the government as having ties with the Indonesian terrorist group.

Major Roland Rodil, commanding officer of the 15^th Army Infantry Battalion, said information gathered by military showed the next bombing target of Baehaqi would be IGACOS.

Baehaqi is object of warrant of arrest for the Makilala and Kidapawan bombings issued by a judge in a Kidapawan City court, according to Major Rodil, who added the Indonesian was collared after intelligence report he was in Davao Oriental.

Regional State Prosecutor Antonio Arellano said charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives and for obstruction of apprehension of criminal offender for coddling Baehaqi were filed yesterday against the Generosos before the prosecution office in Lupon.