MANILA, Philippines — National Capital Region Police Office chief Oscar David Albayalde on Wednesday said the police in Metro Manila remain on full alert because of the Marawi City crisis and Manchester blast.
Under full alert, the NCRPO force will be assigned to places of convergence.
“Sa hanay namin ay maximum attendance po iyan. ‘Pag sinabing full alert status, wala pong pwedeng mag-leave. ‘Yung mga naka-leave na kailangang i-recall ay i-rerecall at ‘yung atin pong mga security measures [paiintingin] po iyan lalong lalo na sa mga places of convergence and of course yung ating Oplan Sita and other target hardening measures pa po magpapatupad po tayo ng ganyan,” Police Director Albayalde said in a radio interview with dzMM.
Asked if there will be increased military visibility and checkpoints, Albayalde said augmentation from the Armed Forces of the Philippines will only be assigned to malls, terminals, and other convergence places such as bus, MRT, and LRT stations. He said around 100 military personnel will be deployed.
On the other hand, Albayalde said the police will use the same checkpoints that it uses for its "Oplan Sita" campaign focused on motorcycle riders.
‘No cause for alarm’
Albayalde said that although the Metro Manila police are on full alert, there are no specific threats to the capital. He said the the NCRPO has protocols “to address any eventuality in the region.”
“Wala pong dapat ika-alarma, wala pong dapat ikabahala yung ating mga kababayahan,” Albayalde said in an interview with dzMM.
“Rest assured that our security forces in Metro Manila are in place. We have maintained our highest level of alert. Since last year, the NCRPO has been on full alert status,” he added.
While Albayalde said the public has no need to worry, he said the NCRPO is not disregarding the threat of terrorism.
“We must mind the interest of our region and not allow people inflicting fear and unrest to win,” Albayalde said.
The continued full alert status came after President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao on Tuesday to neutralize perpetrators in the attack in Marawi City. The martial law declaration is said to take effect for 60 days.
Constitutional expert Christian Monsod meanwhile said he does not think there is a sufficient basis in declaring martial law in the whole of Mindanao.
“There is no evidence that there is a concerted effort affecting the whole of Mindanao by these forces,” Monsod said of the Marawi City crisis that prompted declaration of martial law.
‘No suspension of writ of habeas corpus’
Monsod also stressed that there can be a lot of rights violated within 60 days. He also added that martial law doesn't suspend privilege of the writ of habeas corpus and it doesn't give civil power to military.
However, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the declaration would entail the suspension of writ of habeas corpus, curfews and setting up of checkpoints.
“Well, we will be able to control their movements, we can, lahat ng gagawan na dapat gawin sa Martial Law, we will implement. Control of movement, searches and arrest of detained people for..Suspension of writ of habeas corpus and details to follow na lang,” Lorenzana said at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday evening.
Last September, Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa also said the police force is on full alert after a deadly explosion hit a night market in Roxas, Davao City. Duterte declared "state of lawlessness" nationwide the following day.
The same declaration prompted fear of the suspension of writ of habeas corpus but Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said there writ is not suspended under a "state of lawlessness."
Suspension of writ of habeas corpus will allow military to arrest suspects without court intervention. This was one of the characteristics of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines in 1972 by President Ferdinand Marcos.
“A state of martial law does not suspend the operation of the Constitution, nor supplant the functioning of the civil courts or legislative assemblies, nor authorize the conferment of jurisdiction on military courts and agencies over civilians where civil courts are able to function, nor automatically suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus,” the 1987 Constitution reads.