ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Police and military authorities are on a heightened alert here after students from various schools panicked, leading to the suspension of classes owing to text messages circulating wildly about an impending attack and kidnapping in this city.
The public panicked despite the repeated appeal of City Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar to refrain from forwarding unverified text messages as these will sow confusion.
“Reports about security threats in schools are (unverified). Our police and military remain in control of the situation as they exhaust all means to curb all forms of lawlessness,” Salazar said.
City Police Director Senior Superintendent Angelito Casimiro said the police have maintained an alert status in the city and launched an aggressive operation against all forms of criminality.
Casimiro said the security alert is also partly in reaction to the bomb explosion in Cotabato City that left two people wounded Tuesday night.
The police official has earlier revealed bombings threats that were foiled following the arrest of a suspected Abu Sayyaf demolition expert last June in a rented apartment near the military camp in this city.
Col. Andrelino Colina, chief of the anti-terror Task Force Zamboanga (TFZ), also confirmed existing threats.
Colina said they are not discounting the threats of bombings and kidnappings. He said that they bring K-9 dogs during their patrol to detect any possible improvised explosive devices (IED).