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An improvised explosive device went off shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday in front of the Philbest Canning Corporation, some 12 kilometers away from General Santos’ City Hall, just as workers were leaving for home.
Mayor Rodolfo Gantuangco has ordered the local police to intensify visibility in public areas, including terminals, public markets and malls.
Police Insp. Benjamin Mauricio, deputy chief for operations here, said an additional contingent from the Cotabato Police Provincial Mobile Group has been deployed in strategic areas since Wednesday night.
Also, back up forces from the Army’s 602nd Brigade were also positioned in several exit and entry points of the city.
Gantuangco has ordered a round-the-clock manning of check points in the city to deter possible attacks.
Gantuangco appealed for sobriety as he urged people to be “extra vigilant.”
“We ask everyone to cooperate. This is your contribution to our efforts to secure this city from any attack,” he said.
The mayor also asked commuters plying the Kidapawan-Makilala highway to cooperate when flagged for inspection by Task Force North Cotabato and the 602nd Brigade.
“Security is not only the PNP or the Army’s concern. It’s everybody’s concern,” he stressed. (MindaNews)