In control

Don't panic, all forces are on alert, the government is in control. Fear is what terrorists aim to create, and panic means giving in to terrorism. Yet it gets tougher every day to remain calm, from Metro Manila to Jolo.

For several weeks now, Mindanao has been in the grip of terror. The latest bombings in Jolo, Sulu and in Zamboanga City left at least 10 people dead and scores wounded. Earlier in the week, terrorists struck at the heart of activity in Metro Manila -- a crowded shopping mall. Terrorists also struck at the heart of law enforcement, firing a rocket-propelled grenade at Camp Crame. If the headquarters of the Philippine National Police can be attacked, no one is safe.

The attacks in Metro Manila have raised a spate of rumors, many of them unrelated to the Muslim problem in Mindanao, that have added to the confusion. Whoever was behind the bombings has succeeded, if not in sowing widespread chaos, then in creating an image of instability in this country.

There is no protection from a determined terrorist. Just one zealot ready to kill or be killed for a lunatic cause can unnerve a population of millions. It will help if the government can reassure the public that all measures are being undertaken to maintain peace and order. An attack on the PNP headquarters is hardly reassuring, and the police must give priority to catching the culprits in that case. And let's not have fall guys who will retract "confessions" later, please.

President Estrada had to cut short his trip to China as a result of the bombings and the damage wrought by a typhoon. Swept to power partly on a platform of peace and order, the President may have to take a direct hand in reassuring the public that the bombings notwithstanding, all is well in most parts of the country. People are trying to stay calm, trying not to give terrorists the satisfaction that they are succeeding in sowing terror and disrupting normal life. The events this week, however, have made it more difficult to stay calm. The public will need more than soothing words to be convinced that the government remains firmly in control.