The Philippine military has identified the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the Southeast Asia-based terrorist network which has alleged linkages with local Abu Sayyaf rebels, as one of the groups that pose threat on the holding of the Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) summit in December in Cebu, central Philippines.

"I would believe that the security preparations in place have considered that as a threat," Armed Forces of the Philippines public information office chief Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said in reference to JI.

Philippine authorities earlier said JI funded the bombing of passenger ferry off Manila Bay in 2004 that left over 100 people dead and last year's Valentine's Day bombings in the cities of Makati, General Santos, and Davao that left at least eight people dead and scores wounded.

At least 30 JI operatives are believed to be in the country's Sulu and Mindanao region. Among them are JI bombers Dulmatin and Omar Patek who are reportedly being pursued in the outskirts of Sulu along with Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani. The two JI bombers were accused of being behind the 2002 bombings in Bali, Indonesia, that killed 202 people.

But Bacarro is confident that the security preparations being adopted by the military, in coordination with the Philippine National Police, would be enough to ensure a peaceful ASEAN summit.

"We have the capability to ensure a peaceful summit", he said. "Our primary concern is to ensure that nothing will happen and that ASEAN summit will push through without any hitch. As to the specifics of security preparations, I cannot say, including how many troops will be involved but definitely, great amount effort will be focused on that."

Source: Xinhua