Malacañang yesterday condemned the New People's Army attack on the Silay airport, saying "government will not be deterred by these barbarous acts."

President Gloria Arroyo yesterday ordered the police and the military to beef up security in all government flagship projects.

Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said government will continue to press on with measures to secure vital government projects in the country and to further intensify its counter-terrorism campaign in all fronts.

Koreans, Japanese
uncooperative: PNP
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

The Army's 3rd Infantry Division has dispatched its company-sized elite Scout Rangers to join the manhunt against about 30 New People's Army guerillas who attacked and blew up facilities of the airport in Silay City, Negros Occidental, military spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said yesterday.

Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, however, said the Korean and Japanese builders of the multi-billion peso airport are "uncooperative" in their investigations.

The police cited refusal of the airport builders to show them footages of the rebel raiders taken by a built-in video camera at the batching plant, which was blown up by the rebel attackers.

PNP intensifies
MassKara watch
BY DONALYN GUERRERO & CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

Bacolod City police director, Senior Supt. Pedro Merced, yesterday warned all precinct commanders not to lower their guards to pre-empt possible terrorists attack during the celebration of 27th Masskara Festival in the city.

So far he said, he is thankful that the Masskara celebration is relatively peaceful since no major incidents have happened at the festival sites, Merced said.

Meanwhile, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that security has always been a top priority of his administration because he does not want any untoward incident to happen. It's more of a preventive measure and we want to retain the image of the MassKara as a peaceful festival, he said.