JUSTICE Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor said about 60 to 65 percent of terrorist attacks are aimed at the mass transit system with terrorist aiming for more casualties and inflicting more injuries on innocent civilians.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, who is also chairman of the Philippine Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC), said there is even a growing concern around the world as more terrorist attacks are focused on the public transportation system that includes ferries, buses and trains.

Ermita told the opening session of the 7th Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) Anti-Terrorism Conference (ATC) at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza that "an area of persistent concern is the threat of terrorism on the domestic and global transportation sector wherein attacks on several mass transportation systems have resulted in staggering casualties."

He said the Philippines even had its share of similar terrorist attacks which are mostly perpetrated by local terrorist groups like the Abu Sayyaf.

He cited the SuperFerry 14 bombing on February 2004 that claimed about 116 lives and committed by the ASG at the entrance to Manila Bay.

Blancaflor, who is the ATC co-chairman, in a separate interview, said the focus was shift to mass transport due to the hardening of previous targets like the police and the military.

"Because of hardening of these targets lumilipat sila sa soft targets where they can inflict the most number of casualties on civilians, and that’s the essence of terrorism…Generally iyun 60-65 percent (of terrorist attacks). Kung titingnan mo in the Philippines , more or less ganoon na rin - SuperFerry, bus terminals, at (in some) Mindanao areas," he said.

Ermita said the important thing is to ensure the timely gathering of intelligence, disseminating it well and immediate actions are to be taken by the operating agencies involved.