Pope Francis waves to the faithful on his last drive through the city before leaving Manila, Philippines, Monday, Jan. 19, 2015. AP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang downplayed the claim of sacked Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) Chief Getulio Napeñas Jr. that the slain Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan will detonate a bomb during the convo of Pope Francis in Manila on January 18, 2015.
In a statement sent through text message to reporters, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that the threat was “minimal.”
“No specific report to this effect was received, and this threat was thereafter assessed to be minimal,” Lacierda said.
During the Senate hearing on the government operation in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao which claimed the lives of 44 PNP-SAF members Monday, Napeñas said that the PNP received information that a bomb will be detonated as the papal convoy passes T.M. Kalaw St. in Manila.
“Just recently during the Pope’s visit in the Philippines, we had information that the Jemaah Islamiyah, in coordination with Marwan, had planned to detonate a bomb as the Papal convoy (started) in Manila on January 18, 2015,” he said.
Marwan, an alleged bomb expert, was killed in the bloody January 25 Mamasapano operation.
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