EDITORIAL - Vigilance alert

The circumstances are different, but the bombing in central Bangkok the other night, followed by another one at the port yesterday, should remind Philippine law enforcers to remain vigilant against violent attacks by various groups.

As of late yesterday afternoon, at least 21 people, eight of them foreigners, had been confirmed killed in the explosion that ripped through a crowded area in front of the Erawan Hindu shrine in the Thai capital. Yesterday an explosive device was also set off at a busy pier in the city, but it landed in the water and caused no harm.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Thai police have launched a manhunt for a possible suspect, who was seen on closed-circuit TV footage leaving a backpack near the shrine. Reports said probers are eyeing Islamic militants in Thailand’s restive south or political enemies of the ruling junta embarking on a destabilization campaign.

Similar problems have also led to deadly attacks in Metro Manila. On Dec. 30, 2000, 22 people were killed in near-simultaneous bombings on a crowded Light Rail Transit coach and a park in Manila, a gas station in Makati, the NAIA cargo area, and in a bus along EDSA going to Cubao, Quezon City. The attacks were blamed on the Southeast Asian terror cell Jemaah Islamiyah or JI and its local cohort the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

On Feb. 27, 2004, JI and the Abu Sayyaf were also blamed for the bombing of the SuperFerry 14 at the mouth of Manila Bay, killing 116 people in what was considered the deadliest terrorist attack at sea. The country has also had its share of violent attacks suspected to have been perpetrated by political destabilizers.

The past decades have shown that those prepared to kill and unleash mayhem can bide their time for many years. Governments that have launched aggressive campaigns against security threats find it prudent to consider long periods without bomb attacks as mere lulls. Enemies of humanity never sleep, and those tasked to confront the threats cannot afford to let down their guard.