Manila, June 11: Philippine authorities should brace for a possible wave of terrorist attacks as soon as a unilateral ceasefire called by Muslim separatist guerrillas expires this week, President Gloria Arroyo said today. "We may face a fresh wave of terrorist threats," said Arroyo, on a visit to the troubled south.
"The police and military must be prepared, backed by the vigilance of alert communities."
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) declared a 10-day ceasefire earlier this month to give stalled peace talks a chance to resume. But Arroyo did not reciprocate, calling the move a tactical ploy by the rebels to regroup amid a massive military assault.
The ceasefire was to end tomorrow and Arroyo vowed to "sustain selective punitive actions" against the MILF, which she and the military blame for a spate of deadly attacks that have left around 100 dead since March.
She stressed she would lead residents of southern Mindanao island, where the MILF has been waging a 25-year rebellion "regardless of creed, ethnic origin or social station from the clutches of fear to a heightened sense of security."
In a radio interview in manila, Arroyo's spokesman Ignacio Bunye said MILF violence during the ceasefire was proof that the guerrilla leadership "cannot discipline their own forces in the field."
Bunye said the government was still hopeful that "there will come a day where conditions will be more conducive to the holding of peace talks." Bureau Report