MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region Police Office intensified its intelligence operations to prevent retaliatory attacks in Metro Manila by the ISIS-inspired Maute group following the death of its two leaders on Monday, an NCRPO official said yesterday.
NCRPO chief Director Oscar Albayalde said police have not monitored the presence of Maute group members in Metro Manila, save for those in jail at Camp Bagong Diwa.
“We monitored no threat of terrorism in Metro Manila but we should not lower our guard to assure the public that we are on top of the peace and order situation in the metropolis,” Albayalde said in an interview after he was asked whether the killing of ISIS leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute would drive their supporters to launch retaliatory attacks in Metro Manila.
He said the Maute group’s members have relatives in Metro Manila though “they are not terrorists but peace-loving citizens who are mostly vendors.”
Albayalde said they are closely coordinating with their counterparts in the military and the National Intelligence Coordinating Council in intelligence-gathering to thwart relatiatory attacks.
He said with the government in the thick of preparations for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit next month, “it would be very difficult for the terrorists to launch attacks as they would be easily identified and caught.”