SWAT members of the Philippine National Police arrive at the Resorts World Manila complex early Friday, June 2, 2017 in suburban Pasay city southeast of Manila, Philippines. Gunshots and explosions rang out early Friday at a mall, casino and hotel complex near Manila’s international airport in the Philippine capital, sparking a security alarm amid an ongoing Muslim militant siege in the country’s south. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
Security officials have not monitored any terrorist threat in Metro Manila after the fatal incident where a lone gunman burst into a casino in Pasay City early Friday morning.
“Well, generally Metro Manila we enjoy peace and order ‘no. Maganda ‘yung prevailing peace and order dito sa Metro Manila. We have not monitored any threat on terrorism dito sa Metro Manila,” National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Dir. Oscar Albayalde said in a Palace briefing on Friday.
Albayalde said the government’s intelligence community was “in constant monitoring” of terrorist groups in Metro Manila.
Asked whether the incident in Resort World Manila would prompt the declaration of martial law or the suspension of the privilege of habeas corpus, the police official said they have not recommended such to President Rodrigo Duterte.
“We did not recommend anything on that issue, especially to the President ‘no. It’s only the President who can decide on that,” he said.
Despite saying that Metro Manila was free of terror threat, Albayalde said the Philippine National Police (PNP) was on full alert.
“The Philippine National Police is on full alert, not the public. It’s the Philippine National Police, especially the NCRPO. We did not downgrade our alert status since after the Davao bombing incident last year,” he said.
Amid the reports of terror threat and the fatal incident at Resorts World Manila, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla appealed to the public not to spread and believe on fake news.
READ: Don’t spread fake news about Resorts World incident, Palace asks public
“Generally, a lot of quarters overreact to situations like these especially we are having all these events in Mindanao following the declaration of martial law and the hostilities in Marawi,” Padilla said.
“Be discerning on what you get on social media and find out if there is basis to believe that news. Do not pass on any news that may be fake,” he added. JPV