No info yet on Egyptian terrorist couple: AFP

FILE: READY FOR POLLS. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson, Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, says the military is ready to secure the May 13 mid-term polls, during the press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Monday (May 6, 2019). Millions of Filipinos are expected to troop to polling precincts on Monday to vote for senators, congressmen and local officials. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has yet to receive information regarding the alleged Egyptian couple plotting to conduct a series of bomb attacks in the country upon instructions from the terror group, Islamic State.

“We have no information on the alleged Egyptian couple in cahoots with local terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group in IED (improvised explosive device) explosions in Sulu (as what was reportedly revealed by an academic analyst on terrorism),” AFP spokesperson, Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said, in a message to reporters Tuesday.

Earlier, Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism head Rommel Banlaoi claimed that the two are already in the country and these individuals are linked to the Indonesians responsible for the bomb attack at the Jolo Cathedral bombing last January.

He added the couple is in the Philippines to conduct “intermittent bombing operations”.

“We are in the process of pursuing leads to the perpetrators of the IED explosions in Sulu and Basilan. But we have no report so far pointing to the participation of such Egyptian couple,” Arevalo said.

He added the military will continue to collaborate with other agencies of government, local governments, as well as residents to punctuate the need for united efforts to prevent radicalism and counter violent extremism.

As this develops, AFP public affairs office chief, Col. Noel Detoyato, said they will consider this information as coming from an “open source” which will be processed by intelligence units for confirmation.

“We will consider his (Banlaoi’s) statement as an information from an open source that we will process using the intelligence cycle,” he said in a message to the Philippine News Agency.