A SERIES of anti-terror exercises, dubbed the Southern Storm Drills, was launched yesterday, Feb. 28, in Davao City with a bomb explosion at a shopping mall and a highjacking incident at the airport among the scenarios played out. “The threat of a terrorist attack is not impossible considering this is the hometown of the president and we know that given an opportunity, the terrorists will attack the city which is why we held the drill here first,” Davao City Police Office Director Alexander C. Tagum said in an interview on the sidelines of the activity. The Southern Storm Drills is an initiative of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in coordination with several government agencies and the private sector. PNP Chief Ronaldo M. dela Rosa, who was in the city yesterday, told the media that the next set of drills would be held at the National Capital Region. “We know they (terrorists) want to retaliate because of their setback in the Marawi incident, so they are now recruiting new members, although our assessment is that they are not capable of attacking several cities, but we have to prepare,” Mr. Dela Rosa said. — Carmencita A. Carillo

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