By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

CLEARLY, whoever may have camped in that hilly property in Burgos overlooking the South China Sea had advanced information, if not actual experience about the terrain as being very ideal for just such secret activities and operations.

And we mean not just for manufacturing drugs as is widely suspected by local officials and police but for many other sinister purposes – like, possibly, underground training of terrorists. It wouldn’t really be surprising if that were the case; western Pangasinan’s topography, and relatively sparse population, makes it perfect for the conduct of secret and unlawful activities.

As in several other past incidents of similar or allied nature, the authorities especially the Philippine National Police and the Coast Guard, appear to have been caught napping.

We wouldn’t be surprised if, after some lull, another startling “discovery” is made in some other part or parts of the coastal stretch from Alaminos to Infanta or from Alaminos to Bolinao. The area — rolling hills, thick foliage, few nosey residents—is just too tempting for vessel-borne drug, arms and human cargo traffickers to land their goods in. And they can’t miss it, even coming from, say China or somewhere else; all they need is the GPS gadget and they know they’re on target.

This possibility of course, is just too unsettling: Consider, for one, if the Al-Qaeda or even just the Rajah Sulayman group were to land one night anywhere in the area to make the mountain fastnesses their staging point for mayhem in western Pangasinan.

More patrols and sharper eye now, PNP – or we’ll all be sorry later.