PNP stands by claim Maute already in Metro Manila

PNP spokersperson Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos. Photo by Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

The Philippine National Police (PNP) does not intend to contradict the intelligence information of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on the alleged presence of the Maute terrorist group in Metro Manila.

The police and military only had a difference in the “appreciation of information” they gathered, PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said in a press conference on Wednesday.

PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and other top PNP officials revealed on Tuesday that the group, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has established presence in the metropolis.

READ: Maute group has established presence in Metro—‘Bato’

They discovered this after the arrest of an alleged Maute member involved in the attempted US Embassy bombing in November last year in Salam Compound in Barangay (village) Culiat, Quezon City.

But the AFP said otherwise. It contradicted Dela Rosa’s claim and said the military has not monitored any information about the presence of the terrorists in Metro Manila.

Carlos said he had already discussed the conflicting statements with the chief of AFP’s Public Affairs Office Col. Edgardo Arevalo.

He explained: “Nabanggit po ng AFP is on the side of the AFP. Sa amin, ito ‘yung naging result ng investigation ng PNP. Kindi naman kami kumokontra. They are just saying that based on their monitoring, wala. Sa amin, ito resulta ng investigation.”
(On our end, this was the result of the PNP’s investigation. We are not contradicting them. They are just saying that based on their monitoring, there is no presence here. But this is the result of our investigation.)

He stood by the PNP chief’s earlier claim.

“We are to believe there is a presence of the cell group and we are still looking deeply into this,” Carlos added. IDL