PNP rules out any ‘credible’ terror threat

The Philippine National Police yesterday said there were “no credible and specific” terrorist threats to the annual procession, or “traslacion,” of the Black Nazarene icon in Manila that millions of devotees are expected to attend.

The police assurance came despite a raid on an Islamic center in Manila and the brief detention of scores of people as part of heightened security before the traslacion.

Two men were arrested for illegal drugs during the raid on Saturday, as authorities warned of possible attacks by Islamic militants when the Feast of the Black Nazarene reaches its peak today.

“This is part of security preparations for the Feast of the Black Nazarene,” said Chief Insp. Marissa Bruno, spokesperson for the Manila police.

Strict measures

PNP Director General Ronald dela Rosa said strict measures would be enforced during the procession to ensure that the authorities could respond to any threat, particularly from Islamic extremist groups being pursued by the government.

“Frankly, we have not monitored any credible and specific threat directed toward this specific event. But we want to make sure and we are preparing because it’s possible they will retaliate,” Dela Rosa said in a radio interview.

The top PNP official was referring to the jihadist Ansar al-Khilafa Philippines (AKP), three of whose leaders were killed in police operations last week.

AKP is sympathetic to the terrorist Islamic State operating in Iraq and Syria, and has ties with other terrorist organizations, such as the Maute Group, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and Abu Sayyaf.

Interior Secretary Ismael Sueño agreed with Dela Rosa, saying that the PNP had not received “definite, clear, imminent threat related to traslacion.”

“[B]ut this is a very big event so we are not leaving anything to chance. So we are making very big preparations to ensure the safety of our devotees,” Sueno said in a separate radio interview.

‘Traslacion’ in provinces

He said security measures were also up in other smaller traslacion events in the provinces, such as in Cagayan de Oro City as well as in the initial celebrations of the feast of the Sto. Niño next week, the Sinulog in Cebu City. —WITH A REPORT FROM AFP