PNP says Metro Manila safe after arrest of suspected ISIS members

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente (left) and DOJ Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre present alleged Islamic State members Husayn Al-Dhafiri and Rahaf Zina (center) on Thursday. —JOAN BONDOC

Metro Manila is safe, the Philippine National Police (PNP) assured after the authorities arrested two foreign nationals with alleged Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) links near a shopping mall in Taguig last March.

“The public has nothing to worry about. Maganda ‘yung ating preparation at patuloy ‘yung intel operatives that are out gathering information on these matters,” PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said on Friday.

“The PNP has deployed over 75,000 policemen for the Holy Week and the rest of the summer season and so far, we have not monitored any threats,” he added.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday presented to the media Kuwaiti and Syrian nationals Husayn Al-Dhafiri and Rahaf Zina, respectively, who were arrested last March 25.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said Al-Dhafiri has “links to terrorism and is believed to pose a threat to the national security of the Philippines.”

Zina, meanwhile, was reportedly the former wife of ISIS’ “No. 2 man.”

Aguirre said the couple were allegedly involved in manufacturing bombs and explosives.

Although Carlos said that PNP has not monitored any terror threats in the metro, he said the police are investigating the purpose of Al-Dhafiri and Zina’s visit to the country and their possible targets, if any.

He, however, refused to go into details.

“Right now, I have no clearance to discuss what the intelligence community has. But once cleared, we will provide information to the public,” Carlos said.

The police official added that the PNP remains on full alert. JE/rga