No bomb threat in Metro Manila, says NCRPO chief

MANILA, Philippines — There is no bomb threat being monitored by the police in Metro Manila, as the metropolis also enjoyed a peaceful celebration of New Year, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Guillermo Eleazar said on Wednesday.

Eleazar made this assurance after the mall blast in  Cotabato City on December 31, which left two people dead and 34 others wounded.

READ: 2 dead, scores wounded in Cotabato City mall blast

“Wala po tayong namomonitor na banta sa ating komunidad pero hindi po tayo tumitigil [in information gathering.] Tuloy-tuloy po ‘yung aming coordination sa mga iba’t-ibang ahensya at nagbabantay po tayo,” Eleazar told Radyo Inquirer.

(We have not monitored any threat to our community but we have not stopped in our information gathering. We continue our coordination with other agencies and we are constantly on the watch.)

He said Metro Manila is generally safe through the help of the NCRPO, which is composed of more than 28,000 officers.

On Wednesday, police found an abandoned box on a footbridge along Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City. Police later found that the box only contained lumpia wrappers and a pack of green peas.

READ: Cops find lumpia wrappers in abandoned box in QC

Eleazar also urged the public to be part of the intelligence community by reporting suspicious incidents and persons to authorities.

Earlier, Eleazar  took pride of the zero casualty from stray bullets recorded in Metro Manila during the New Year festivities. He said the NCRPO has recorded only one incident of indiscriminate firing by a civilian in Navotas City. /ee

READ: NCRPO: No stray bullet casualty in Metro Manila during the New Year revelry