Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada on Wednesday assured the public that the country’s capital is safe from terrorists, including foreign jihadists earlier reports stated have managed to enter the country.
Still, Estrada said he has ordered the Manila Police District to maintain its high alert status to protect the city’s 1.7-million residents and vital installations and business establishments.
“In so far as Manila’s concerned, we have no confirmation of sightings of foreigners who are suspected to be ISIS members,” Estrada said, citing the report of MPD director Chief Supt. Joel Coronel.
The mayor said the city government and local police are closely coordinating with the senior leaders of the three Muslim communities in Manila – in Quiapo, Sta. Mesa, and Baseco Compound.
Estrada has forged a security arrangement with these Muslim enclaves wherein the local community and barangay leaders would immediately report the presence of suspicious individuals in their neighborhood.
In an interview, Coronel echoed Estrada’s assurance, saying the city is “secured and safe.”
“We are working closely, number one with our Muslim communities, especially in the Golden Mosque, Quiapo, and other communities, in Baseco and Sta. Mesa,” Coronel said.
“So far, we have no sightings. So far there’s no threat regarding this matter,” the MPD chief assured.
Coronel pointed out that the MPD is continuously coordinating with its intelligence counterparts such as the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency), the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group.
Several news organizations have reported the presence in the country of at least “100 foreign jihadists” who have just completed their ISIS-supervised military training in Indonesia.
It said the jihadists reportedly entered the country before the five-month Marawi siege was officially over to reinforce their trapped cohorts.
Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Major General Restituto Padilla has earlier said they are checking these reports.
He has clarified, however, that they are only monitoring eight foreign terrorists, not 100, who were able to sneak into the country and are now working with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mindanao.