Noy deplores US bomb attack

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino led the nation in condemning the terror attack on the annual Boston Marathon that has killed at least three people and injured more than a hundred.

“The President personally conveys a message of deep sympathy, concern, and solidarity with the people of Boston, where he and his family had found refuge during martial law, and which so many Filipinos call home,” Malacañang said yesterday in a statement.

Aquino lived in Boston with his family when his father, Benigno Aquino Jr., was in exile during the Marcos dictatorship.

“We condemn those who dared defile this event and who have cast such a pall of loss and suffering in the city of Boston and the entire US,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

She said the Aquino administration +gjoins the international community in extending our deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones in the bombing of the Boston Marathon.

“We offer our prayers and best wishes for their recovery,” she said as “scores are being treated for injuries, some of them quite life-threatening.”

She said that Boston — where the Aquino family had lived in exile in the early 80s — is a “city of bravery, openness, and liberty.”

“This tragedy will not change these essential truths, and points of pride, for this great city,” she said.

At the House of Representatives, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. called the bombing a “senseless and horrible tragedy.”

Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento said the incident “is a grim reminder that terrorism has become the primary weapon of choice of the Devil.”

“This cowardly act was obviously committed by people whose sole intention is to sow chaos and instill fear among citizens of the free world,” Sarmiento said.

“We should refuse to be cowed by these people but at the same time, this incident in Boston and the many other acts of terrorism in the past should constantly remind us to be on guard,” he said. “It’s time for us to fight back.”

He urged the public not to hesitate to call the police to report potential terror threats as well as suspicious individuals.

Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles and Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano called for prayers for the victims even as they expressed hope that the US authorities would immediately arrest those responsible for the terror attack.

“Because of these senseless deeds, we in Congress passed several anti-terrorism measures, among them the Terrorist Financing Suppression Act. We promise not to stop for we know that the fight against terror must be sustained until we are sure that everyone is protected and secured from all these threats,” Nograles said.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said the “dastardly act, which targeted and victimized civilians, whatever its motives, deserved the strongest condemnation of people of the world.”

“The culprit or culprits must be hunted, jailed and punished in a manner that would avoid collateral damage to innocent civilians,” he said.

He said the Boston Marathon “is an annual sporting event that continues to inspire us of the values of a good mind and a good body as a unifying spirit for mankind.”

“This attack assaults that ideal,” said Casiño, who regularly joins local marathon events.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan called the attack a “cowardly act of violence.”

“This bomb attack in Boston is terrible news. Our prayers go to the victims and their families,” Pangilinan said. “Only cowards resort to bombs to kill innocent, helpless human beings,” he said.

“Violence is abhorrent in any case and when bombs are exploded to hurt as many innocent people as possible, that+fs barbaric and most abominable,” Sen. Ferdinand Marcos said.

Sen. Pia Cayetano appealed for prayers “for everyone affected.”

That the attack in Boston happened despite heavy security should remind Filipinos — especially officials — of the need to be always on guard, said United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial candidate Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile, who has a daughter based in Boston.

No threat detected

Meanwhile, the military said it has not detected any local terror threat but is not letting its guard down.

“The armed forces has not monitored any threat. However, we continuously intensify the collection of intelligence information, especially our networking with other counterparts, with other state agencies,” Armed Forces spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said in a press briefing.

Burgos said the military has remained in “heightened” and “constant” alert since the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks in the United States.

“Our security patrols are relentless, especially in the countryside, and our focused combat operations there are directed towards armed groups,” he said.

“The citizens will play an important role. We are encouraging them to report to authorities when they see suspicious persons or objects,” he said.

Burgos also said they are coordinating with the police in securing the country’s urban centers and other crowded areas.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), for its part, said it is always on alert for terror attacks but ruled out a specific terror threat.

“There+fs a continuing police operation in partnership with other security agencies like NICA (National Intelligence Coordinating Agency), AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines),” PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said.

“We assure the general public of continuing effort to monitor any eventuality. With that incident in Boston, the PNP will further intensify its effort. We are prepared for any eventuality,” he added. With Paolo Romero, Jess Diaz, Christina Mendez, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Janvic Mateo, Alexis Romero