People in PH protected from terror threats: AFP spox

MANILA – An Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) official on Wednesday assured that Filipinos and non-residents are “protected and kept safe” from terror threats in the country.

In a statement Tuesday, AFP spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala said the military continues with the fight against all forms of terrorism and violence through intensified internal security operations aimed at preserving peace and order.

“We ensure that all citizens, Filipinos or not, as long as they are within our territory, are protected and kept safe from terrorists’ threats. This is also to underscore the importance of the active participation of the populace in defeating terrorism since security is, after all, everyone’s concern,” he said.

The Philippines has not received any report of a possible terror attack, Zagala said, after the Japanese Embassy in Manila said Tuesday it had received an intelligence report of such threat in six Southeast Asian nations, including the country.

“We constantly validate all reports on security matters and it is a continuous process. As per the last review, our threat level is moderate,” he said.

READ: Embassy confirms receipt of terror attack warning in PH, 5 others

The country’s defense and military sector are on constant heightened alert for terrorism-related activities and threats since the 2017 Marawi siege, Department of National Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said.

“We are working closely with other relevant government agencies and instrumentalities, such as the Anti-Terrorism Council to continuously monitor and assess terror threats within our borders all year round,” Andolong said in a statement Tuesday.

He said the department took cognizance of the terrorism advisory issued by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to its citizens abroad, adding that the advisory would be subjected to validation.

Earlier, the AFP said it is taking seriously all received or disseminated reports of possible terrorism-related activities.