HEAVY SECURITY With a pair of binoculars, a guard surveys the surroundings of the US Embassy in Manila from a newly constructed outpost protruding over the wall. Security was increased at US embassies and consulates around the world following an attack that killed the US ambassador in Libya. RICHARD A. REYES
MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police (PNP) believes it was unlikely that the violent unrest that happened in the Middle East over a video clip ridiculing Muslims will not spread to the country.
“We don’t see any acts of violence in reaction to the video clip happening in our country, we see how open-minded our fellow Muslims are in our country,” Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr., PNP Spokesman, told reporters in a press briefing Tuesday.
Violent protests erupted in Egypt, Libya, and Yemen recently over the film “Innocence of Muslims” that reportedly ridiculed important Islamic figures. Several United States (US) diplomats, including the ambassador to Libya, were killed when armed men stormed the US Embassy in Benghazi, Libya.
Cerbo praised Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Mujiv Hataman for urging the Muslims in the country to remain calm.
“No less than the governor of ARMM has called for civility and sobriety to our Muslim brothers,” Cerbo said.
“We see it’s unlikely that what is happening in the Middle East will spill over into our country,” he added.
Cerbo said however that they have beefed up security in embassies, especially the US Embassy on Roxas Boulevard in Manila. Security to diplomats has also remained tight, he said.
Muslims in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, on Monday, held a protest rally condemning the film. About 600 Muslims burned replicas of US and Israeli flags.
Cerbo said that “the good thing was that it was a very peaceful protest rally by our fellow Muslims.”