MANILA, Philippines - The former members of the notorious hit squad Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) have tied up with the so-called Balik Islam groups, prompting security forces to raise alarm in Metro Manila, a top police official revealed yesterday.
National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Oscar Albayalde said intelligence reports revealed the new alignments between the ABB and the Balik Islam, a group of supposed converts to the Islamic faith.
“(They are) continuously being monitored by our intelligence operatives, both from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP),” Albayalde said in a briefing at Malacañang.
Albayalde identified the Maharlika Village in Taguig and Baseco Compound in Manila as the possible lairs of the groups.
“That is a possibility, although there is nothing we have monitored so far. But then again, we have to conduct these target-hardening measures to prevent any untoward incident for this ASEAN meeting,” he said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ ministerial meetings in Manila.
“Yes, we have monitored a few of them who converted into Balik Islam,” he said.
Albayalde made the revelation in the process of outlining the security measures being prepared by the PNP for the Aug. 2 to 8 ASEAN ministerial meetings in Manila.
Albayalde, however, downplayed the possibility that the groups are going to attack the ASEAN ministerial meetings. He also doubted the groups are capable of assassinating President Duterte.
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